Thread: Raul Reyes: ICE raids on gangs truly makes U.S. safer

ICE raids on gangs truly makes U.S. safer

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency did something right. There. I said it. I've been a vocal critic of the tactics of ICE, which has raided plants trawling for illegal immigrants. Un-American, I've argued. But this past summer, it made neighborhoods across the USA safer by focusing on the right thing: dangerous criminals.

Last week, the agency announced that it had arrested more than 1,700 gang members through Operation Community Shield, a four-month effort in 53 cities across 28 states to dismantle violent street gangs. In these sweeps, ICE captured many illegal immigrants who are a true threat to society, such as Juan Carlos "Trigger" Chavez, a career criminal whose rap sheet includes firearms and battery charges, carjacking and possession of narcotics.

The anti-gang operation comes as illegal immigration has slowed. According to a new study by the Pew Hispanic Center, the flow of illegal immigrants now trails that of legal immigrants, reversing a trend started a decade ago. The sinking economy is most certainly the reason. A separate Pew study found widespread pessimism among Hispanics, no doubt shared by our non-Hispanic compatriots. The distinction, however, is with the perception Latinos have that their ethnicity hurts their chances of keeping a job — or their homes. Add to that the fact that about one in 10 reported being stopped by authorities and questioned about their immigration status, and you can better understand the deep roots of such pessimism.

That's why Operation Community Shield is particularly laudable. At a time when illegal immigration is contracting, ICE wisely shifted at least some of its focus to violent criminal elements in our society, not solely on those whose status renders them illegal. ICE did not seek to create a new class of criminals based on dubious identity-theft charges, as in the raid on a slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, earlier this year. The raid upset the children and families of those who were swept up, while damaging this community.

Enforcement alone, including in the workplace, won't solve the problem. Until we have an administration that is willing to tackle comprehensive reform and that recognizes this is an economic, not just political, problem, the best role for ICE is to target criminal elements who truly don't belong here, or in any civilized society. Community Shield is a step in that direction.

Raul Reyes is an attorney in New York and a member of USA TODAY's board of contributors.
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To bad that Raul doesn't understand that all I.C.E. raids make America safer for American citizens, not just the raids on gangs.