ICE Fugitive Operations Teams make 1,808 arrests in six states during month-long cooperative enforcement effort

More than 70 percent of the aliens taken into custody are immigration fugitives or have criminal histories.

"ICE is committed to protecting the integrity of our immigration system. These enforcement operations ensure that the removal orders handed down by the nation's immigration courts are carried out," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for ICE. "Because of similar successful operations, we are seeing for the first time, a marked decrease in the fugitive alien population. America will always welcome those who wish to enter our country legally, but for those who flaunt our laws, know that you will be removed."

These operations are carefully planned and professionally implemented. ICE's fugitive operations teams prioritize cases involving immigration violators who pose a threat to national security and community safety. These include sex offenders, suspected gang members, and those who have convictions for violent crimes. For instance, among those arrested by the fugitive operations teams was a previously deported Mexican national who was convicted in the mid-1990s of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Mariano Ceja-Ochoa, 31, was taken into custody by ICE officers in Dana Point, Calif. Ceja is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for felony re-entry after deportation, a violation that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.