ICE arrests Mexican national convicted of child cruelty in Passaic

Passaic, NJ – Passaic – Federal immigration agents have arrested Efren Cortez-Velez, a Mexican national previously convicted of child cruelty and other offenses in New Jersey, following what officials described as a targeted enforcement operation.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Cortez-Velez was taken into custody on Dec. 28 and is now being held pending removal proceedings. Court records show he was first arrested by Passaic Police in March 2007 for criminal trespassing and resisting arrest, charges that led to a guilty plea and a $377 fine. Later that year, on Dec. 25, he was arrested again—this time for endangering a child. He pleaded guilty in April 2008 to abuse, abandonment, cruelty, and neglect, and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Despite those convictions, authorities said Cortez-Velez remained unlawfully in the United States for years before his recent arrest by ICE’s Newark Field Office.

ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said Cortez-Velez’s case demonstrates the agency’s focus on apprehending offender...