Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have slowly begun as President Donald Trump begins his efforts to enforce deportation orders against recently arrived undocumented migrants.
What We Know:
- Raids took place over the weekend in Chicago, New York and New Jersey as part of Trump’s recently declared efforts to remove over 2,000 migrants who have recently entered the country from Central America. Trump has said he will roll out a series of increasingly drastic actions to address this flow of immigrants which has increased greatly since he took office.
- Trump first began this wave of raids in June, targeting over 100 individuals in Southern California; federal officials say these migrants pose a threat to border and national security and public safety. Originally, this initiative was meant to include large-scale mass deportation.
Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
- According to Department of Homeland Security officials, the plan has since changed as news reports began informing immigrants of what these raids may look like and how to appropriately act; Authorities will now initiate smaller raids rather than larger, simultaneous deportations.
- Trump announced this new wave of raids outside the White House on Friday, denouncing activists and politicians who have attempted to help immigrants deal with these raids and speak with ICE agents.
- The first of these ICE raids occurred in Chicago last Friday and Saturday. A mother and her daughters were apprehended but released under supervision, and at least one other home in the area was approached by ICE. Arrests were made on Saturday in New York. A teenager in New York said she knew to not answer the door when she heard a knock Sunday because she had seen the “know your rights” posts on Instagram.
- The American Civil Liberties Union said the raids seemingly stopped on Sunday as protests began across the country; advocates have been protesting to #abolishice and posting tips on social media to help immigrants in targeted cities to deal with ICE agents.
The Trump administration is planning massive immigration raids in major cities across the country, and possibly beyond: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco. #NoRaidsNoCamps #NoHumanIsIllegal pic.twitter.com/cJLJMDQPrx
— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) July 14, 2019
More raids are expected to occur this week, inspiring immigrants across the country to hide out in their homes in fear.
