NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says several Caribbean nationals have been detained among 32 convicted sexual offenders over a 10-day period.

ICE said that the immigrants were apprehended in in an enforcement effort, dubbed “Operation SOAR” (Sex Offender Alien Removal).

It said those arrested included nationals from Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic as well as other immigrants were from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and Peru.

ICE said the agency also detained immigrants with past criminal convictions, ranging from sexual abuse to attempted rape.

“ICE’s continuing commitment to making our communities safer is underscored by operations like this one targeting sexual offenders. These actions focus our resources on the most egregious criminals and promote public safety in the communities in which we live and work,” said Thomas R Decker, field office director for New York.

“ERO officers are out there every day enforcing immigration law with targeted enforcement actions. ICE will not waiver in its promise to arrest and remove criminal aliens from our neighbourhoods,” he added.

ICE said among those arrested was an unidentified 21-year-old Haitian man with a prior conviction of two counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age. He was sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision, ICE said. It said the victims in this case were both 15 years of age.

ICE said the 45-year-old Trinidad and Tobago national was “convicted of third degree rape of a victim incapable of consent and sentenced to five years of probation supervision.

“This Level 1 sex offender was arrested in East Hampton (Long Island) July 29 and will remain in

ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” the immigration agency said.

It said criminal histories of those arrested during the operation include acting in a manner to injure a child; assault; third degree attempted rape; burglary; attempted sexual abuse; criminal sex act; endangering the welfare of a child; endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person; forcible touching; promoting a sexual performance by a child; public lewdness; first degree rape; second degree rape; and third degree rape.

Other criminal histories are reckless endangerment; first degree sexual abuse; second degree sexual abuse; sexual abuse; forcible compulsion; sexual contact with an individual incapable of consent; and sexual misconduct.

Those arrested will be processed administratively for removal from the United States, ICE said, adding the detained who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country.