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 offenders who pose risks to public safety. “Despite the constant rhetoric from politicians, activists and the media claiming that ICE is somehow wrong for doing its constitutionally mandated mission, the reality is that we’re out there arresting people like Efren Cortez-Velez — a criminal who entered this country illegally and was convicted of victimizing a vulnerable child,” Lyons said.

Lyons also noted the increasing dangers faced by ICE personnel, citing a 1,347% rise in assaults and an 8,000% spike in death threats against agents compared to last year. “They’re still showing up every day to take the worst of the worst out of our communities,” he said.

Cortez-Velez remains in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings.

Key Points: ICE arrests Mexican national convicted of child cruelty in Passaic – Passaic

ICE arrested Efren Cortez-Velez, a Mexican national convicted of child cruelty and trespassing in New Jersey.
Cortez-Velez was first convicted in 2008 but remained in the U.S. unlawfully for years before his arrest.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said agents continue to target offenders who threaten public safety despite rising threats to their own.

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