USCIS Partners with Joint Task Force-West to Stop Transnational Criminal Organizations
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MCALLEN, Texas — Since the creation of the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign in December 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been an active partner within Joint Task Force-West (JTF-W) South Texas Corridor, providing assistance in intelligence and investigative efforts involving our immigration laws.
JTF-W seeks to enforce our immigration laws and interdict individuals seeking to illegally cross our land, sea and air borders. The JTF-W STC is comprised of inter-agencies working to stop transnational criminal organizations along the south Texas-Mexico border.
“It is important that USCIS plays a role in providing support to our law enforcement partners in the South Texas Corridor,” said District Director Mario Ortiz. “Our knowledge of immigration benefits helps in the efforts to disrupt those seeking to break our immigration laws.”
Since fiscal year 2017, the USCIS collaboration within JTF-W STC has resulted in more than 430 illegal immigration case referrals to our law enforcement partners. These referrals have resulted in close to 100 immigration benefit denials and 20 deportations, with 13 individuals pending removal.
“Successes such as these highlight the benefits realized when multiple agencies, with differing missions, work together to address a common threat,” said JTF-W STC Commander Rodolfo Karisch. “With the knowledge provided by our USCIS partners, we have the ability to impact illicit networks and multiply an agency’s enforcement posture.”
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.