A nationwide crackdown targeting thousands of illegal immigrants in New York and other major cities began late Saturday night.
Agents are looking for a list of more than 2,000 people who have been ordered deported.
“We are doing targeted enforcement actions against specific individuals who have had their day in immigration court and have been ordered to be removed by an immigration judge,” explains acting ICE Director Matt Albence. “We are merely executing those lawfully issued judge’s orders.”
“They’re not undocumented,” adds Ken Cuccinelli, acting Citizenship and Immigration Services Director. “They’ve got a court order on a piece of paper – federal order – that says they’ve gotten due process, and [there are] over a million people with removal orders. That’s the pool that ICE is drawing from.”
In February, ICE sent letters to these individuals offering them a chance for orderly removal from the US; only 3% of people responded. “At this point, we have no choice but to go out and execute those lawfully-issued removal orders from an immigration judge,” says Albence.
The target list includes entire families, which will be held together in federal detention centers in Pennsylvania and Texas until authorities run out of space. If undocumented parents are found to have children who are US citizens, ICE agents will wait with the kids until a relative can be found.
To highlight the need for a crackdown, ICE on Sunday published a list of recent incidents where nonresidents who were released despite detainer requests went on to commit new crimes including rape, murder, burglary, assault, drug possession, and DUI.
ICE agents will focus on criminals “as much as we can before we do anything else,” said Trump.
It is unclear how successful the raids will be given publicity. ICE agents are not allowed to forcibly enter a home and advocates in major cities are going door to door providing information on immigrants’ rights. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said his city would not cooperate.
CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan described these efforts as “unconscionable.”
“This is about going after individuals here illegally…Any city, any law enforcement agency that resists, does not cooperate, they’re actually putting those cities in higher danger,” he said.
Based on the success of previous raids, we can expect about 200 arrests.
—
The raid had initially been planned for June 23rd. On June 22nd, Trump offered to cancel it if lawmakers could work out a deal in two weeks. As expected, they failed to do so and the Administration went through with its plans.
“At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the illegal immigration removal process (deportation) for two weeks and see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the asylum and loophole problems at the Southern Border,” tweeted Trump on June 22nd. “If not, deportations start!”
Editor’s note: Trump has shown over and over again that he is serious about closing the borders to illegal immigration and dealing with illegals here. This could be the beginning of a much more restrictive environment for illegal immigrants.
Yea ICE…… yea POTUS!! At last a courageous, patriotic, much overdue enforcement of the universal rue of law. Pretty much ignored in our country by cowardly, stupid, and citizen-abusive progressives.
It’s about time, I wonder how many of rich people will the illigal’s take into their own house.
Why not hold the mayor’s that do not cooperate accountable.
It’s way past due . In order to stop this we must deport all illegals and every democrat and rino with them . They want the poor among us . Well take the politicians money and put them into their poor environment to survive like they want us too . Wonder how many Mexicans would feed them and give them everything above Mexico’s legal citizens?
We all must help ICE and protect them as they do the job that our laws command . If need be our militias need to come out from under the bushes .
ICE needs to step it up a bit. At 200 a day it will take 13 1/2 years years to deport 1,000,000.
As far as the children who are U.S. citizens are concerned, the parents should be allowed to retain custody of them (in their home country) until they reach majority and then they can decide for themselves where they want to live.
Lowell: I agree that parents of “anchor” children should retain custody of minor children and take them with them until they are old enough to return to this country. And the automatic citizen law must be changed!!! Minor children should not be left in the U.S. with legal or illegal relatives or friends to raise. Americans did not give birth to those children and should not be held responsible for the children of deported illegal parents. And those “anchor” children who return to the U.S. should not be able to sponsor illegal parents who lived in the U.S. illegally and refused to leave the country when ordered to do so. Illegal parents and others should be ineligible by immigration laws to return because they will have a criminal record of entering and living in the U.S. illegally….after being ordered to leave and/or deported. Laws are laws….and it’s time this country enforced those laws….and anyone who assisted illegal aliens as enablers, co-conspirators and accomplices should face some form of penalty. It is disgusting and irresponsible for government, state and local leaders to lie, cheat, connive and deliberately and publicly give info to illegal aliens and open border activists in how to avoid and hide from ICE law enforcement. If Americans are arrested and they fail to show up for court hearings and evade arrest with or without help….an arrest warrant would immediately be issued and those American would be hunted down and arrested and would/should serve time. Why should Americans be legally punished with arrest and jail while illegal foreigners be allowed to run free??? Who are these so-called federal, state and city leaders representing??…..American citizens??….or illegal foreigners??? From all indications….they are representing legal/illegal foreigners who could care less about this country….except for what they can get out of it for free!!! Voters must remember these leaders in the next elections!!!!
One of many examples: An illegal man and illegal woman entered and settled in AZ several years ago, they met and married and had 10 “anchor” children. When AZ’s SB 1070 law was passed, they left AZ and moved to CO….a sanctuary state. How much of taxpayers’ money helped to support, and may still be supporting, that couple and their 10 “anchor” children with food, housing, education, medical, etc.???
Also, if green card holders have not applied for citizenship within 10 years (cards are renewable every ten years)….and millions of foreigners have not….the cards should expire and those foreigners should return to their home countries….no exceptions!!! They should not be able to remain in the country indefinitely receiving the same benefits and privileges (except voting) of U.S. citizens with no intentions of ever becoming citizens. They are bilking this country for everything they can get out of it….at the cost of U.S. citizen workers and taxpayers!!! Many foreigners will eventually return to their home countries to retire and live off of the money they sent home while working U.S. jobs. Where is the justice in this??? There is no justice!!!! Drastic immigration reform is needed…but not by Democrats and RINO’s!!!
MIT Romney is one of those RINOs! He runs as a Republican but always votes with the Demorats.