ATLANTA (AP) -
Immigration authorities said they've arrested 20 foreign nationals convicted of sex offenses in Georgia and the Carolinas this week.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Friday that the arrests came Monday through Wednesday as part of Operation Sex Offender Alien Removal, or SOAR, which targets foreign nationals who are targets for deportation because of convictions for sexual offenses.
Six arrests were made in the metro Atlanta area, while the remaining 14 arrests were made in South Carolina and North Carolina.
ICE said the enforcement initiative was part of ongoing operations in the region to find foreign nationals who have committed crimes and pose a threat to public safety.
In fiscal year 2011, ICE deported a total of 5,849 sex offenders.
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