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Nearly 120 arrested in ICE raid of large housing development in Texas

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  • More than 100 people were arrested during a massive raid at a large Houston-area housing development community known as Colony Ridge, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said the effort was part of a larger operation.
  • Homan told Fox News that some migrants were apprehended at worksites, while others were arrested during traffic stops and some had warrants.
  • Authorities did not release the identities of all 118 people they arrested, though, they did highlight some individuals.

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Nearly 120 people were arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 25, during a massive raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE officials said the raid happened at a large Houston-area housing development community known as Colony Ridge.

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What is the Trump administration saying?

President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan told Fox News the effort was part of a larger operation.

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Homan said that some migrants were apprehended at worksites, while others were arrested during traffic stops. Some also had warrants.

“I know for a fact, there was several sexual predators. I mean, child predators that were arrested for sexual misconduct with a child,” Homan told Fox News. “I know there was one that was convicted of either homicide or murder.”

Who was arrested?

Authorities did not release the identities of all 118 people they arrested, although. However, they did highlight some individuals.

An ICE spokesperson in Houston said one of the individuals arrested has been deported three times and was arrested on a warrant for repeated sexual abuse of a minor from November 2008 to November 2016.

ICE also said authorities arrested an MS-13 gang member who had previously been deported in connection with a murder.

The agency also revealed various charges and convictions associated with those who were arrested, including child sexual abuse, homicide, negligent manslaughter, theft, weapons and drug offenses.

What is Gov. Greg Abbot saying?

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott first revealed ICE operations at Colony Ridge on Monday in a social post. The post said authorities were “targeting criminals and illegal immigrants.” Abbott added, that he “worked with Tom Homan on this for months.”

What are immigrant rights advocates and residents saying?

Immigration rights advocates condemned the raid. They called it a “wave of terror directed at the Colony Ridge communities by the governor.”

One resident said the heavy police presence made them and their family fearful.

Why does Colony Ridge hold significance?

Colony Ridge has been brought up in the immigration debate several times. The area has drawn criticism from Texas Republicans and conservative activists over accusations of selling land to undocumented immigrants.

Critics also said the area is plagued with cartel crime. Local and state police have refuted that claim.

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[KARAH RUCKER]

NEARLY 120 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED THIS WEEK DURING A MASSIVE RAID AT A LARGE HOUSTON-AREA HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY KNOWN AS COLONY RIDGE, ACCORDING TO U-S IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S BORDER DZAR TOM HOMAN SAID THE EFFORT WAS PART OF A LARGER OPERATION.

[TOM HOMAN]

[INAUDIBLE] IT’S A LARGER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO A CRIMINAL NETWORK AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WE’RE INTERESTED IN WERE LOCATED IN THAT AREA.

[KARAH RUCKER]

HOMAN ALSO SAID SOME OF THE MIGRANTS WERE APPREHENDED AT WORKSITES WHILE OTHERS WERE ARRESTED DURING TRAFFIC STOPS AND SOME HAD OPEN WARRANTS.

[TOM HOMAN]

I KNOW FOR A FACT THERE WAS SEVERAL SEXUAL PREDATORS. I MEAN, CHILD PREDATORS THAT WERE ARRESTED FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH A CHILD. THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THEM. I KNOW THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS CONVICTED OF EITHER HOMICIDE OR MURDER 

[KARAH RUCKER]

AUTHORITIES DID NOT RELEASE THE IDENTITIES OF ALL 118 PEOPLE THEY ARRESTED, THOUGH, THEY DID HIGHLIGHT SOME INDIVIDUALS.

AN ICE SPOKESPERSON IN HOUSTON SAID ONE OF THOSE ARRESTED HAS BEEN DEPORTED THREE TIMES AND WAS ARRESTED ON A WARRANT FOR REPEATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR FROM NOVEMBER 2008 TO NOVEMBER 2016.

ICE ALSO SAYS AUTHORITIES ARRESTED AN M-S-13 GANG MEMBER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DEPORTED IN CONNECTION WITH A MURDER.

THE AGENCY REVEALED VARIOUS CHARGES AND CONVICTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE WHO WERE ARRESTED, INCLUDING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, HOMICIDE, NEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER, THEFT, WEAPONS AND DRUG OFFENSES.

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT FIRST REVEALED ICE OPERATIONS AT COLONY RIDGE MONDAY IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST SAYING AUTHORITIES WERE “TARGETING CRIMINALS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.”

ADDING HE, QUOTE: “WORKED WITH TOM HOMAN ON THIS FOR MONTHS.”

IMMIGRATION RIGHTS ADVOCATES CONDEMNED THE RAID AS A “WAVE OF TERROR DIRECTED AT THE COLONY RIDGE COMMUNITIES BY THE GOVERNOR” AND ONE RESIDENT SAID THE HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE MADE THEM AND THEIR FAMILY FEARFUL.

COLONY RIDGE HAS BEEN A FLASHPOINT FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE.

DRAWING CRITICISM FROM TEXAS REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS OVER ACCUSATIONS OF SELLING LAND TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.

CRITICS ALSO SAY THE AREA IS PLAGUED WITH CARTEL CRIME — A CLAIM REFUTED BY LOCAL AND STATE POLICE.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY- DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.