ICE agents targeted Latino parents outside 2 Detroit schools, activists say
October 16, 2012 at 6:17 pm
By Oralandar Brand-Williams
The Detroit News
Detroit — Local activists for immigration reform allege federal agents are again following local Latino parents when they drop their children off at school, in violation of government policy.
Activists with the Alliance for Immigrants Rights and Reform say Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents targeted parents Tuesday outside of Cesar Chavez Middle School and near Manuel Reyes Vistas Nuevas Head Start Center.
Activists say at both schools, parents were stopped or detained in clear view of other parents and students.
Federal immigration policy says ICE agents should avoid conducting enforcement actions "near sensitive community locations such as schools, places of worship and funerals or other religious ceremonies, except in limited circumstances."
"The practice spreads fear throughout the school and the community in general, regardless of immigration status," said Ryan Bates, director of the Alliance for Immigration Rights and Reform. "The first violations of these kinds occurred in March of last year when ICE agents staked out Hope Academy."
Bates said a father, whom immigration officials allege is undocumented, was detained Tuesday.
He said the parents were "pretty shaken up."
"The prospect of being separated from your children in full view of all your neighbors is pretty terrifying," he added.
The activists plan to voice their concerns Wednesday during a news conference, where they are expected to be joined by Detroit-area members of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Officials for ICE were expected Tuesday to release a statement responding to the allegations.
Agency Director John Morton met in April 2011 with local immigration reform activists and community leaders about complaints that agents were "racially profiling" residents.
ICE agents targeted Latino parents outside 2 Detroit schools, activists say | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
Activists cite 'broken' promises, urge Detroit immigration official to quit
By Oralandar Brand-Williams
The Detroit News
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Detroit — Immigration activists and members of the city's Latino community called Wednesday for the director of the local office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resign, citing what they called questionable stops by federal agents of two sets of parents on the city's southwest side.
One of those parents was detained and remains in detention. Another parent, who identified himself as Jorge but did not want to give his last name, said he was stopped and threatened with arrest in front of his children Tuesday as he and his wife made their way to Manuel Reyes Vistas Nuevas Head Start Center to drop off their children for class.
"I was very scared," said Jorge through an interpreter. "My children were saying, 'Don't take my dad away.'"
Jorge said he and his wife were allowed to go into the school and stayed there until members of the Alliance for Immigrations Rights & Reform Michigan could help them out.
Jorge joined about 125 other people, including state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, at a rally outside the Cesar Chavez Academy on Waterman Street. Demonstrators called for ICE Enforcement Director Rebecca Adducci to be removed.
The call for Adducci's resignation follows allegations that immigration agents are patrolling around schools and stopping residents on their way to drop or pick up their children from school, a practice ICE national director John Morton pledged to end in October 2011.
"ICE has broken its promise here," said Juan Martinez, principal at Cesar Chavez Academy.
Tlaib, who went to the home of one of the parents stopped Tuesday, called ICE's local office "out of control".
"We need immediate accountability for this out-of-control department," she said.
Meanwhile, ICE officials said they have done nothing wrong.
"After a thorough review of facts, the arrest of a priority target (Tuesday) in the Detroit Metro area adhered to, and was in full compliance of, the stated policies and procedures of the agency," said ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls. "This includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy regarding enforcement actions at or near sensitive locations.
"Since this enforcement action, ICE's Office of the Public Advocate has maintained an open and constant dialogue with Detroit community stakeholders on their concerns," Walls said. "ICE has adopted common-sense policies that ensure our immigration laws are enforced in a way that best enhances public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system.
"As part of this approach, ICE has adopted clear priorities that call for the agency's enforcement resources to be focused on the identification and removal of those that have broken criminal laws, recently crossed our border, repeatedly violated immigration law or are fugitives from immigration court," Walls said.
Tlaib and Ryan Bates, the director of the Alliance for Immigrants Rights & Reform Michigan, say there is an apparent conflict of interest in the local ICE office because Adducci's husband heads the unit of the department that oversees fugitive apprehension of illegal immigrants.
Walls said Wednesday that Adducci's husband does not report to her, is affiliated with the agency's Washington headquarters and has no involvement with the Detroit office.
Activists cite 'broken' promises, urge Detroit immigration official to quit | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
