President Donald Trump has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin its raids this weekend Reuters is reporting:
“Authorities plan to start arresting immigrants eligible for deportations in 10 cities this weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.”
The New York Times broke the story that the ICE raids will begin on Sunday and Democrats are furious at the action and venting their frustration.
Advertisement - story continues below
Nationwide raids to arrest thousands of members of undocumented families have been scheduled to begin Sunday, according to two current and one former homeland security officials, moving forward with a rapidly changing operation, the final details of which remain in flux. The operation, backed by President Trump, had been postponed, partly because of resistance among officials at his own immigration agency.
The raids, which will be conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over multiple days, will include “collateral” deportations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the preliminary stage of the operation. In those deportations, the authorities might detain immigrants who happened to be on the scene, even though they were not targets of the raids.
Stop the censors, sign up to get today's top stories delivered right to your inbox
When possible, family members who are arrested together will be held in family detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania. But because of space limitations, some might end up staying in hotel rooms until their travel documents can be prepared. ICE’s goal is to deport the families as quickly as possible.
The officials said ICE agents were targeting at least 2,000 immigrants who have been ordered deported — some as a result of their failure to appear in court — but who remain in the country illegally. The operation is expected to take place in at least 10 major cities.
Advertisement - story continues below
A spokesman for ICE told Fox News that he could not give details and cited “law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.”
“As always, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of unlawfully present aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security,” the source said.
“However, all of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and – if found removable by final order – removal from the United States,” they said.
Democrats have become infuriated by the idea of the president and ICE enforcing the law of the land and deport those who are in the nation illegally.
“We know our neighbors are worried. Please know your city is here for you,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in June.
Advertisement - story continues below
“Resources are here for those who have received an order from immigration courts or have concerns about their status,” he said.
We know our neighbors are worried. Please know your city is here for you.
Resources are here for those who have received an order from immigration courts or have concerns about their status.
Know your rights. Follow @NYCImmigrants. We’re here and ready to help families in need. https://t.co/IhBs3nA5iB
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 22, 2019
“A word to @realDonaldTrump: New Yorkers won’t be divided by a sick plot to tear families apart and force immigrants into the shadows.
“We KNOW our city is stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever BECAUSE of our immigrant communities,” he said.
Advertisement - story continues below
A word to @realDonaldTrump: New Yorkers won’t be divided by a sick plot to tear families apart and force immigrants into the shadows.
We KNOW our city is stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever BECAUSE of our immigrant communities. https://t.co/6F4AQP9rqU
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 22, 2019
The president was set to begin the raids in June but the president agreed to postpone it at the request of Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi after the press discovered the raids were happening.
But last week the president said that the raids were set to begin, which cause more outrage among Democrats.