The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) announced Wednesday that it had
arrested 128 immigrants
in several sanctuary cities in California, including
Los Angeles
,
San Francisco
and
San Diego
.
"We are with immigration and he has an arrest warrant," an ICE agent is heard saying in Spanish to a man outside a garage, while another member of the immigration service handcuffs him, as seen in a video obtained by Noticias Telemundo.
"Can I tell my mom what's going on?" Asks another alleged immigrant to an ICE agent as they arrest him.
[ICE plans arrests in 'sanctuary' cities next month, according to reports. What is known?]
ICE agents in a July 7, 2019 file photo of a raid in San Francisco, California. Reuters
Servando Bermúdez, one of the immigrants who was detained during Operation Rise,
describes how the authorities proceeded.
“Two, three more cars pulled up and got out.
They surrounded me and there they had me: as if I were going to escape, ”Bermúdez told Noticias Telemundo.
These arrests took place in jurisdictions that have adopted sanctuary policies in favor of undocumented immigrants and come less than 30 days before the presidential elections, a clear signal, according to activists, that this is a political message from the president. , Donald Trump.
In a press release, ICE explained that
the objective of this operation
, the first phase of which was carried out between September 18 and October 3,
was to detain foreigners who were subject to deportation, who had been arrested and then released.
"By local law enforcement agencies, even though they had immigration detainers in place."
[Experts estimate that all those detained by ICE could be infected with coronavirus. They urge a massive liberation]
In sanctuary towns, local law enforcement officials do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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 Plans Massive Raids in 'Sanctuary' Cities, According to The Washington Post
Sept.
30, 202001: 58
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.
[ICE used a flight with migrants to send special agents to the protests. A deadly coronavirus outbreak then wreaked havoc]
Trump has campaigned for a strong hand against undocumented immigrants and one of his most recurrent targets has been the so-called sanctuary cities.
Last week, two Homeland Security officials consulted anonymously by
The Washington Post
, which then revealed the existence of the operation, described the ICE effort
more as a political message at election time
.
They alleged that the agency routinely makes arrests and that these new raids did not represent a real change.
They also announced that the presence of the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, was expected to reinforce the president's message.
"Residents should expect more visible presence from ICE in California and other sanctuary entities," Wolf said during a news conference Sunday, announcing the arrests.
“Thanks to the men and women of ICE, Operation Rise was a resounding success.
In just five days, our agents in California arrested 128 illegal aliens who were wanted for the most heinous crimes imaginable, ”Wolf tweeted shortly thereafter.
[Congressmen visit the ICE center with reports of sterilizations: "It seems that the stories are true, the questions and the outrage remain"]
Activists criticized the officials' language identifying undocumented immigrants as criminals.
Statistically, they note,
immigrants commit fewer violent crimes than the general population
.
And the only crime of most deported immigrants is residing in the country illegally, not a violent act.
"This is an Administration that takes any excuse to move forward these attacks against our community," said Angélica Salas, of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants.
With information from The Washington Post.