Glad to see that the government is doing something to get these criminals out of circulation -- and out of our country.

About 1,300 violent gang members who are in this country illegally were arrested in a three-month summer crackdown, federal officials announced Tuesday.

“We’ve arrested quite a number of very serious criminals — individuals who frankly have worn out their welcome by coming into this country illegally and committing more crimes when they got here,” said Julie L. Myers, assistant secretary of homeland security for immigration and customs enforcement.

Of the 1,313 individuals arrested this summer, 939 will be charged with immigration violations, and 374 were detained for criminal prosecution in federal, state or local courts. The operation also led to the arrests of 261 people who officials say were not affiliated with gangs but were in the country illegally.

“If we can’t prosecute them criminally, or they are here in the country illegally, we will have them deported,” Ms. Myers said.

Sadly, this group constitutes less than 1/10000 of the illegals currently in this country -- but they are among the worst of the worst. As a matter of public safety and national security, we need to pick up the pace of arrests and deportations of the violent criminals and drug dealers who have jumped the border with impunity before we even begin to talk about the status of the otherwise law-abiding individuals who break America's laws daily by remaining in this country illegally.

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