Federal immigration authorities report they arrested more than 1,150 people in a three-week enforcement action in California.
The sweep targeted immigration violators including those who have ignored deportation orders or returned to the U.S. illegally after being deported.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice says it was the largest such action by fugitive enforcement teams in California since the squads were formed in 2003.
Kice says of the 1,157 immigrants arrested statewide, 595 have outstanding deportation orders and 346 have prior criminal convictions. Those arrested are from 34 countries.
The raids, which ended Saturday, produced 436 arrests in the San Francisco area, 420 in the Los Angeles area and 301 in the San Diego area.
In recent years, ICE has heightened enforcement at factories, offices and homes. One of its major pushes has been to target illegal immigrants who have flouted deportation orders.
