The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) is preparing a series of operations for next month in several cities and jurisdictions that have adopted 'sanctuary' policies in favor of undocumented immigrants, according to three officials with knowledge of the matter. consulted by
The Washington Post.
California may be the first target of the operation
that has been informally called by the authorities as
sanctuary op,
according to two officials consulted by the aforementioned newspaper who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.
Denver;
Colorado and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania would also be on target.
The arrests would take place in October, just before the November 3 elections, in which the president, Donald Trump, will seek re-election against the Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Trump has campaigned for a strong hand against undocumented immigrants, and two officials quoted by
The Washington Post
described this effort more as a political message at election time
.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrest a foreign national in Los Angeles, California, in this file photo from Feb. 7, 2017. AP
Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Chad Wolf is expected to come in person to oversee the raids at one of these locations
.
Alexei Woltornist, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, responded to the aforementioned newspaper that his department "does not comment or confirm alleged leaked operational plans."
[Congressmen visit the ICE center with reports of sterilizations: "It seems that the stories are true, the questions and the outrage remain"]
ICE has not stopped detaining immigrants during the coronavirus pandemic and the new effort would continue in the same vein, according to the two cited officials.
It was announced earlier this month that ICE had carried out national operations in the summer that had resulted in the detention of more than 2,000 migrants between July and August.
ICE detains more than 2,000 immigrants during a national operation between July and August
Sept.
2, 202000: 31
At the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis, ICE suspended its operations in hospitals, clinics and medical offices.
"We want people to feel free to seek medical attention if they get sick and need it, especially in the current pandemic ...
we cannot abandon police operations
across the country, but we want it to be very clear that we do not make arrests in hospitals." An official who spoke with Noticias Telemundo said then on condition of anonymity.
[Experts estimate that all those detained by ICE could be infected with coronavirus. They urge a massive liberation]
However
, arrests of immigrants continued in the workplace and in homes
, especially in 'sanctuary cities', despite the concern of activists and local authorities that this could harm the collective health and of these individuals .
Trump has made the fight against 'sanctuary' jurisdictions one of his main government objectives.
In these localities, law enforcement authorities do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Among other measures,
the police in these jurisdictions avoid asking about the immigration status
of the people they detain and refuse to keep undocumented persons in jail beyond what the law or a judge dictates, without heeding ICE requests that they hold longer so they can go into federal custody.
[ICE used a flight with migrants to send special agents to the protests. A deadly coronavirus outbreak then wreaked havoc]
ICE has repeatedly lamented that this policy allows the release of undocumented persons accused or convicted of crimes, putting public safety at risk.
About 70% of the arrests carried out by the federal agency happen with the cooperation of local police
, when they are notified that an immigrant is about to be released from a county jail or state prison, according to official statistics.
Trump to send elite Border Patrol forces to 'sanctuary cities'
Feb. 14, 202001: 44
The government has taken
action against sanctuary administrations
, both in court (requiring, for example, information on undocumented immigrants) and with retaliation such as leaving New Yorkers without quick access at airports.
In February, the Government deployed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tactical units (SWAT) in cities that do not cooperate with ICE such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Detroit and Newark.
With information from The Washington Post.
