Thread: Immigration Sweeps In Southern Caifornial: ICE Rounds Up Illegals At Their Homes

Immigration Sweeps In Southern California: ICE Rounds Up Residents At Their Homes

Human rights activists worry the ICE sweeps reflect a ramped-up effort to deport immigrants without criminal records under President Trump.

By Paige Austin (Patch Staff) - February 10, 2017 8:20 am ET

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LOS ANGELES, CA — A series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids rounded up as many as 100 people, mostly from their homes in the greater Los Angeles area Thursday, according to immigrant-rights activists.

The raids triggered backlash, with protesters blocking a Los Angeles Street on-ramp to the Hollywood (101) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles Thursday night. There are no immediate reports of any arrests.

According to the activists, people were rounded up in Van Nuys, Downey and San Bernardino County. Those targeted were immigrants with deportation orders, but family members or other undocumented immigrants present in the home during the sweep were also taken, according to a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. The Obama administration considered such residents low priority for deportation.

For an immigrant community on edge under the new Trump administration, the raids raise concerns that a wider swath of people beyond those with criminal records will be targeted for deportation. Confusion and conflicting statements surrounding the raids prompted state lawmakers to call for an explanation from customs officials.

“It is important that the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency publicly address the nature of these raids,” State Sen. Tony Mendoza said in a written release.

“We need urgent clarification from ICE on how many people were detained, if any have serious medical conditions, if they have had access to adequate legal counsel or if local law enforcement participated in these raids.”

A spokeswoman for the ICE would not confirm any specific operation. Immigration raids are daily occurrences, added ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley, downplaying concerns that the raids reflect a Trump administration crackdown.

“This is business as usual on steroids,” countered Jorge-Mario Cabrera Director of Communications the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. “For someone to tell us this is normal is an understatement.”

Typically the coalition sees three to five people detained in deportation order sweeps each week, but never 100 people in a single day, said Cabrera. People with deportation orders don’t necessarily have criminal records. Most are people who applied for refugee status or asylum but were denied their application and remained the country anyway, said Cabrera.

Many are unaware they’d been denied legal status, he added.




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Officials with the coalition sent out statements alerting the media to ICE raids being carried out in at least five locations, saying that up to 100 immigrants had been detained and taken to ICE offices in downtown Los Angeles.

The organization and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California planned to gather for a 5 p.m. vigil at the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown in response to the actions.

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However, the ICE officers "conduct enforcement actions every day around the country and here in Southern California as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to uphold public safety and border security," countered Haley. "Our operations are targeted and lead-driven, prioritizing individuals who pose a risk to our communities," Haley said. "To that end, ICE's routine immigration enforcement actions are ongoing."

Most of the immigrants are being held in the downtown Los Angeles processing center. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights is advising immigrants to obtain legal counsel, and the coalition will be holding “Know Your Rights” informative sessions throughout the day Friday in Los Angeles.

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🌞Olivia🌞 @WeasleyMala

Rally against the ICE Operation which picked up at least 100 people today, Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. at B-18 (Aliso/Alameda)

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🌞Olivia🌞 @WeasleyMala

Info on the ice raids that happened in LA today! pic.twitter.com/Ud62RhstH5
4:44 PM - 9 Feb 2017

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THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. PLEASE REFRESH THE SCREEN FOR UPDATES

http://patch.com/california/los-ange...esidents-being

Deport them all. Obviously "sanctuary cities" is a lie that they will come out of the shadows and report crime. Baloney, they should reporting their own family members breaking our laws then.

They will only report a "crime" if one was done unto them!

DEPORT THE WHOLE FAMILY. NO MORE FREE PASS, NO PATH TO CITIZENSHIP!

STOP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND CUT OFF ALL FREEBIES.

Sell out, pack up and go back to your Country of Origin with what you have, or you will be deported with NOTHING!

“It is important that the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency publicly address the nature of these raids

US Customs/ICE is not required to disclose any information to the public on the nature of there raids or any other
performance of there duty.

ICE has the legal obligation and authority to pick up, detain and deport any person illegally in the country and no other requirement
is needed.

What Obama did during his Administration or more specifically his non-enforcement of immigration laws has no weight or bearing under
the Trump Administration and pointless to keep bringing it up as some type of legal authority or waiver.

We have laws and you all know you reside in the U.S. illegally and we have every right to enforce those laws and deport you.

Again, you can make it easy for yourself by leaving on your own accord or by force with the embarrassment of being
handcuffed and deported with only the clothing you wear.

Everyone please call the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights at 213-308-9977 and tell them how you feel
about there organization.

"Those involved in the sweep have no prior criminal convictions"?
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They are CRIMINAL TRESPASSERS and in the country illegally.

Do not reward, do not detain...deport within 24 hours..

Quickly and quietly.

ICE: SoCal raids net 160 foreign nationals

Raids over past week target "criminal aliens"

City News Service2:13 PM, Feb 10, 2017

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Federal immigration authorities confirmed Friday they arrested about 160 foreign nationals in a series of Southland raids carried out over the past week targeting "criminal aliens" and others in the country illegally, but activists and some elected officials criticized the actions and offered support to affected immigrants.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the raids were carried out in six Southern California counties beginning Monday and ending around noon Friday. The operations targeted "at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives."

ICE officials said about 150 of the people arrested had criminal histories, while five others had "final orders of removal or had been previously deported." They noted that many of those arrested had prior felony convictions for violent offenses including sex crimes, weapons charges and assault, and some will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible prosecution for re-entering the country illegally.

Details were not provided on the remaining people arrested, but ICE noted that during some raids, officers "frequently encounter additional suspects who may be in the United States in violation of the federal immigration laws. Those persons will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE."

The raids prompted an outcry that began Thursday afternoon from local immigrant-rights activists, who suggested the actions were a result of a stepped-up enforcement effort under the Donald Trump presidential administration, which has vowed to crack down on illegal immigrations and people living in the United States without authorization.

Officials with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles created a toll-free hotline -- (888) 624-4752 -- for affected immigrants to call for assistance and obtain access to attorneys. The group also began offering hourly training sessions to inform illegal immigrants about their legal rights.

One woman, Marlene Mosqueda, told reporters Friday morning her father was taken away Thursday by authorities who weren't wearing clothing identifying them as ICE officers, and he was deported.

"They took my parents away," she said. "They took my family away."

ICE officials insisted, however, that while the raids represented an enforcement "surge," they were "no different than the routing, targeted arrests carried out by ICE's Fugitive Operations Teams on a daily basis."

"The rash of recent reports about purported ICE checkpoints and random sweeps are false, dangerous and irresponsible," according to ICE. "These reports create panic and put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger. Individuals who falsely report such activities are doing a disservice to those they claim to support."

But some elected officials criticized the immigration actions.

"President Trump has already ignited widespread fear and confusion in our immigrant communities with his executive order and divisive campaign rhetoric," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "If the reports are accurate, these raids only add to the anxiety about what's to come from this administration."

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Los Angeles, said she was "outraged" at news of the recent raids and suggested that some people who were targeted had no violent or criminal history.

"I am working with my constituents and the immigrant community to ensure they know their rights," she said. "As this process moves forward, I will also ensure my constituents know what the next steps are, where applicable."

ICE officials said the five-day operation included:

-- the Huntington Park arrest of a Salvadoran national gang member wanted in his home country for aggravated extortion;

-- the Los Angeles arrest of a Brazilian national wanted in Brazil for cocaine trafficking; and

-- the West Hollywood arrest of an Australian national previously convicted of lewd acts with a child.

http://www.10news.com/news/ice-socal-raids-net-160-foreign-nationals