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By Sanwar Ali
Trump Immigration raids have been continuing for about a week. They seem to be relatively small scale. Communities in the US are scared and in Chicago some undocumented immigrants are taking sanctuary in Churches. Chicago is a sanctuary city and local law enforcement will not be cooperating with ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are a number of US cities that have decided that they will not cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Advice that is being given to Undocumented Immigrants
The advice is that you should not open the door of your home to anyone unless you know that it is ICE or Homeland Security agents. You should demand to see a warrant before allowing agents in.
President Donald Trump greatly overstates deportations
President Trump is prone to exaggerate. He recently said that millions would be deported. ICE does not have the resources or manpower to do this. Actually last year ICE removed 250,000 people. The highest number of deportations was actually under Obama “Deporter in Chief” in 2012 when 410,000 people were removed.
The anti immigration Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli had the following comments to make:
“Here we are talking about ICE doing its job as if it’s special, and really this should be going on a rolling basis,”
“They’re looking forward to just doing their jobs.”
Drivers Licence Database being used to find illegal immigrants:
The Washington Post has reported that Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI are utilizing state driver's license databases to scan through "millions of Americans' photos without their knowledge or consent,"
The Post also reported that Internal documents from ICE show "federal investigators have turned state Department of Motor Vehicles databases into the bedrock of an unprecedented surveillance infrastructure."
LAPD Los Angeles Police Department Chief also critical of ICE
Both LAPD Chief Michel Moore and Mayor Eric Garcetti appeared in a video and told residents that they did not have to open their doors to ICE unless they had a signed warrant.
David Marin, the director of Enforcement and Removal Operations for ICE in L.A. had the following to say:
“What’s happened lately, particularly with the chief of police coming out, not only talking about our operation and releasing the numbers, but to do that video he did with the mayor — it’s just really disappointing to us.”
Trump administration taking a tough line from the beginning
Thomas Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said the following to Congress in June 2017.
“You should be uncomfortable. You should look over your shoulder.”
“You need to be worried. No population is off the table.”
Trump businesses depend on immigrants. His businesses have in fact employed undocumented migrants. Perhaps to some extent the immigration raids are taking place to show his supporters that he is tough on immigration.
