Immigration Officials Arrest Two Convicted Child Offenders in Renewed Enforcement Efforts
In a pair of recent operations highlighting the Department of Homeland Security’s renewed focus on removing dangerous criminals from the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested two women with convictions related to crimes against children. These arrests in New Jersey and Texas represent what officials describe as a commitment to protecting public safety by identifying and removing individuals who pose serious threats to communities, particularly those who have victimized children. The arrests come as part of ICE’s ongoing mission to prioritize enforcement actions against those with criminal backgrounds who are in the country illegally.
The first case involved Gladys Leticia Bustamente-Rios, a Honduran national who first entered the United States illegally in 1997. That same year, she faced charges for assault and a family offense, resulting in a five-year prison sentence. Following these convictions, an immigration judge ordered her removal in August 1998 and permanently barred her from reentering the country. After being deported in July 1999, Bustamente-Rios subsequently committed the federal felony of illegal reentry. Last month, ICE officers located and arrested her at her residence, where she had been living despite the permanent ban on her presence in the country. Officials state she will remain in ICE custody as they prepare for her removal, emphasizing that her case represents exactly the kind of enforcement priority that immigration officials are focusing on.
The second case centers on Maria Alejandra Gamarro-Quinonez, a Guatemalan citizen who initially entered the United States legally on a visitor visa but failed to depart when required in April 2007. Her interaction with immigration officials began in August 2023 after she was arrested and booked into the New Jersey Sussex County Jail on theft charges. After posting a $2,000 bond, she was released with instructions to appear before an immigration judge. On April 1, 2025, an immigration judge in Chelmsford, Massachusetts ordered her removal from the country. ICE arrested Gamarro-Quinonez on November 10 in Graham, Texas, where she had reported for probation following a case involving child endangerment and abandonment. Like Bustamente-Rios, she remains in ICE custody pending her removal from the United States.
These arrests reflect a deliberate strategy by immigration authorities to focus on individuals whose criminal histories make them high priorities for enforcement actions. ICE Director Todd M. Lyons emphasized the agency’s commitment to this approach, stating: “These criminal illegal aliens victimized innocent children, the most vulnerable members of our society. ICE is ensuring that these criminals will never do this again. Our mission is about public safety and removing dangerous threats from this country, and we will not rest until our communities are safe from these vicious criminals.” This statement underscores the agency’s focus on cases involving serious crimes, particularly those affecting children, as part of its enforcement priorities.
The timing of these arrests comes as immigration enforcement has become an increasingly prominent topic in national discussions about border security and public safety. These cases highlight the complex nature of immigration enforcement, particularly when it involves individuals with criminal convictions. Bustamente-Rios’s case illustrates the challenges faced when previously deported individuals reenter the country illegally, while Gamarro-Quinonez’s situation demonstrates how visa overstays can evolve into more serious immigration violations when combined with criminal activity. Both cases reflect ICE’s stated commitment to prioritizing enforcement actions against those who pose genuine threats to community safety rather than focusing solely on immigration status violations.
As these enforcement actions continue, they represent part of a broader pattern of immigration authorities targeting individuals with serious criminal histories. Similar operations have been reported across the country, including the arrest of individuals convicted of drug trafficking, sexual offenses against children, and violent crimes. These targeted enforcement actions, according to officials, aim to balance immigration enforcement with public safety priorities by focusing resources on removing those deemed most dangerous to communities. For the two women in these recent cases, their current detention will likely lead to removal proceedings and eventual deportation to their countries of origin, completing the enforcement process that immigration officials say is essential to maintaining both border security and public safety within American communities.
