Los Angeles is known for many things: palm trees, the Lakers, USC football and great burger joints. Unfortunately, Los Angeles is also known for its gangs, and police throughout the city are trying to do their best to single out alleged gang members and make as many arrests as possible. Nearly 2,000 gang members were arrested in the Los Angeles area last year, a record number that federal officials say will have a major impact on crime-fighting efforts.
More than 850 of the 1,970 gang members arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are being prosecuted on state or federal charges, officials said. The rest are in the U.S. illegally and are being deported to their native countries. Returning after being deported is a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Immigration plays a major factor in gang-related arrests, and any mark on a person's record as a gang member could permanently ban them from living as a citizen in America. It is not completely clear how an organization such as ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, determines who is and is not a part of a gang. If someone is arrested during a sting, they could just be an innocent bystander and get swept up into an arrest of gangs. Since the launch of ICE's Operation Community Shield in 2005, more than 11,850 gang members and associates have been arrested nationwide and more than 450 firearms seized. Of those arrested, 145 were gang leaders.
