麻花视频

So far this year, 32 people have been charged with illegally entering the country after previously being deported, the most common immigration charge brought in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

There were just 13 such cases in the district during the entire four years of former President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration, according to figures from the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office.

鈥淲e are seeing an increase in enforcement numbers as a direct result of the priorities of the current administration,鈥� said U.S. Attorney Todd Gilbert.

鈥淧resident Trump has made enforcing our nation鈥檚 immigration laws a priority, with a focus on those who are committing crimes in our communities, and he has instructed the Attorney General and all U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Offices to dedicate resources to combatting an issue that was ignored for the previous four years,鈥� Gilbert, who took office last week after being nominated by Trump, said in a statement.

Most of the federal charges were filed after local authorities arrested someone for a non-immigration offense, checked the person鈥檚 citizenship status, and notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.

A conviction carries a maximum two-year prison sentence, followed by the person鈥檚 automatic deportation.

Not all are 鈥榲iolent criminals鈥�

Illegal re-entry charges filed in federal court provide a glimpse of the bigger immigration enforcement picture.

On July 2, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that so far this year, more than 2,500 people statewide have been arrested for being in the country illegally. The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force, a federal-state partnership created in March, has been 鈥渆xtremely successful鈥� Youngkin said, adding that 鈥淰irginia is safer today because of it.鈥�

Youngkin described the immigrants as 鈥渧iolent criminals,鈥� language often used by Trump.

But details about the individuals鈥� criminal histories, and how many of them were from the 麻花视频 region, were unclear. The governor鈥檚 office referred questions to the task force, to which Youngkin attributed the arrests.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who leads the task force, in turn referred questions to ICE. A spokesperson for the federal agency did not respond to emailed questions last week.

Civil liberties and immigrant rights advocates say that many of the people arrested don鈥檛 have violent criminal records 鈥� or any record at all.

鈥淭he overwhelming majority of people who come to our country are seeking refuge, want to contribute to society, pay their taxes, and want to live the American dream,鈥� said Monica Sarmiento, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

Sarmiento decried what she called the 鈥渃ruel and inhumane鈥� tactics being used in immigration raids conducted by ICE agents, who approach unsuspecting suspects at their workplaces or government buildings. Often wearing masks, they handcuff immigrants and lead them away with little explanation.

鈥淣o one should be treated like that,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are Americans. We know better.鈥�

A review by The 麻花视频 of 18 cases in the federal court鈥檚 Western District of Virginia showed that eight of the defendants came to the attention of ICE after being arrested for drunken driving. Other offenses included misdemeanor assault and battery, drug charges, grand larceny and burglary.

Carnal knowledge of a minor, making a false statement to buy a firearm and assault of a law enforcement officer are also on the list, according to the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office.

By virtue of how they wind up in federal court, usually after an arrest, the immigrants are more likely to have a criminal record than their overall population.

Although there has been criticism by the Trump administration of so-called sanctuary cities 鈥� localities where police and corrections officials choose not to share information with ICE 鈥� Gilbert said that has not been the case in Western Virginia.

鈥淭he United States Attorney鈥檚 Office and federal law enforcement agencies have been receiving support and cooperation from our state and local partners,鈥� he said.

Accept deportation or fight to stay?

When an undocumented immigrant comes to the attention of immigration authorities through an arrest, local officials usually drop the state charge to expedite federal prosecution.

Some cases move quickly. Federal prosecutors say that under certain circumstances, defendants are allowed to be arraigned, plead guilty, waive a presentence investigation, and receive a sentence of the jail time they have already served 鈥� all in a single hearing.

Santos Angelo Gutierrez-Gomez, who was arrested by 麻花视频 police on a DUI charge, was one of the immigrants willing to take the offer. During a recent hearing, U.S District Judge Thomas Cullen told the native of Honduras that he would immediately be transferred to ICE custody and 鈥渂e on your way home in the near future.鈥�

鈥淢y apologies,鈥� Gutierrez-Gomez said, speaking through a Spanish interpreter. 鈥淢ay everyone have a good day and God bless you all.鈥�

Others have chosen to stay and fight the charges.

Guillermo Hernandez-Ocampo, a native of Mexico who was also charged with drunken driving, is one of them. He has a steady job with a construction and house painting company, a wife and child at his southwest 麻花视频 apartment, and no other criminal history, according to courtroom accounts and records.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller asked that Hernandez-Ocampo be held without bond pending trial, saying he was a risk to flee, considering tighter security measures that now exist at the U.S.- Mexico border. 鈥淭he harder it is to reenter the U.S., the more incentive there is to not get deported,鈥� Miller said.

But Judge Robert Ballou sided with Assistant Federal Public Defender Heidi Bohn, who argued at a May 7 hearing that her client was unlikely to run. Bohn is seeking Hernandez-Ocampo鈥檚 immigration file under an open records request as she prepares a possible defense.

鈥淚 set aside the political winds that may be out there, and I look solely at this defendant in making my decision,鈥� Ballou said in setting an unsecured bond of $5,000. A trial date is set for March 2026.

Hernandez-Ocampo was a trusted and valued employee before taking another job, according to the president of the company where he worked for the past four years. The man asked that he and his company not be named, saying he was concerned about possible public backlash.

The businessman said he supported a push to remove violent immigrants from the country.

鈥淏ut what they are doing is going after the easy targets,鈥� he said of ICE agents. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going after the people who are going to work every day, taking their kids to school, and going to church.鈥�

Hernandez-Ocampo鈥檚 former boss questioned whether a hard worker with a clean background should be facing a prison sentence and deportation for trying to find a better life than the one he had in Mexico.

鈥淗e made a mistake,鈥� the man said. 鈥淏ut I think he deserves a second chance. It鈥檚 sad to see what is happening.鈥�