Immigration sweep nets three arrests in SLO County

September 1, 2015

Federal immigration agents arrested 244 illegal immigrants, including three in San Luis Obispo County and 20 in Santa Barbara County, during a four-day sweep of Southern California last week. [LA Daily News]

The sweep produced a record number of arrests for a four-day sting. All of the foreign nationals who were arrested have criminal records, and most have at least one felony conviction. Some have sexual abuse convictions.

All of the people arrested have pending deportation orders or have returned to the United States after being deported, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The vast majority of those arrested — 191 of 244  —are from Mexico.

Immigration agents made arrests in a total of six counties. Agents arrested 99 illegal immigrants in Los Angeles County.

With 55 arrests, Orange County had the second most arrests. Agents made 43 arrests in San Bernardino County and 24 in Riverside County.

San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria have made national headlines in recent weeks due to two violent assaults committed by illegal immigrants with extensive criminal history.

In SLO County, a Paso Robles man is accused of nearly beating to death a toddler. The man was let out of jail after his arrest, and then he did not show up to court.

In the other case, an illegal immigrant is accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a Santa Maria woman. The attack occurred just days after he was released from jail.

The killing of Cal Poly grad Cathryn Steinle in San Francisco garnered even more attention. Steinle also was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant with an extensive criminal record who had just been let out of jail.