Immigration raid arrests 56 in Minnesota

In raids across the country last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 3,100 immigrants, many of whom had previously been convicted of serious crimes. The operation included 56 arrests in Minnesota.

Most of those arrested had been convicted of crimes ranging from manslaughter to drug trafficking, Shawn Neudauer, ICE public affairs officer, said. Others had immigration violations. More than 1,000 of those arrested had multiple convictions. About 200 of the arrestees could face further charges from federal prosecutors for crimes like illegal re-entry after deportation.

This isn't the first sweep targeting people with immigration violations that ICE deemed to be threats to public safety.

"This is the largest [operation] of its kind though, in the fact that we were out looking and targeting criminal aliens and those that fall within our enforcement priorities: recent border crossers, people who have illegally reentered the country and other immigration fugitives," Neudauer said.

The ICE operation, called Cross Check, has been active since 2009. Last week's arrests involved more than 1,900 ICE officers.