ERO Salt Lake City arrests Canadian national convicted of murder

SALT LAKE CITY — Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Salt Lake City have arrested a Canadian national convicted of murdering a toddler.

Ferosa Bluff, 52, was transferred to ERO custody from the Utah State Prison Nov. 28. Bluff is considered an aggravated felon and was served with an administrative removal order as required under the Immigration and Nationality Act. She will remain in ERO custody until her removal from the United States.

“Our hearts are with the family of the small child murdered at such a young age. We will work to see this aggravated felon is removed from our community so she can do no more harm here,” said ERO Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke.

Bluff entered the United States Sept. 15, 1998, through Helena, Montana. She was arrested Oct. 21, 1998, for murder, child abuse and sexual abuse of a child and convicted of those charges Aug. 20, 1999, in the Third District Court in Salt Lake County.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROSaltLakeCity covering Utah, Nevada, Montana and Idaho.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)