Meanwhile, immigrant advocacy groups have called the strategy reminiscent of workplace raids under the Bush administration, saying that the very act of deportation is cruel because many of those fleeing violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras should be allowed to seek asylum.
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“We’re seeing a real united front in the faith community that these raids are immoral, that we should not be targeting people who have fled violence, who will be sent back to perhaps a violent situation that could be fatal”, Andersen said.
The Democrat wants to know why the raids were conducted over the holidays and is seeking a meeting with Homeland Security Sec. “ICE will continue to pursue the removal of persons who fall within DHS immigration enforcement priorities, including families who are recent unlawful border crossers and who are subject to final orders of removal”. “Our federal government should not be separating parents from their children”, Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA), the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in a statement. “As the mother of a young son, it’s easy for me to imagine how traumatizing having ICE agents storm someone’s home and tearing families apart can be for a young child”, said Sanchez.
The 121 immigrants arrested over the weekend will be housed in those facilities prior to being deported, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday in a statement.
Lawyers said Tuesday that they’ve managed to temporarily stop deportation proceedings for 12 individuals from four families rounded up over the weekend, when authorities apprehended 121 people in the country illegally.
However, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency is not conducting raids in California.
“If it was November right now, this would be a disaster for the Democratic Party”, Ms. Tramonte said.
Lawyers advised the migrants to simply not open the door if approached by immigration agents.
The majority of the families will be taken to family residential centers before they fly back to their home countries.
Unzueta said that the raids were “nothing new”, but noted that in recent years ICE had targeted only those with criminal records.
“The raids may serve a political goal for the Administration, but it will not deter the flight of refugees from Central America”, Kevin Appleby, global migration policy director for the Center for Migration Studies, told Politico.
Henry and his 24-year-old sister, Ericka, say their family fled El Salvador after receiving death threats from gangs when the family couldn’t pay a $2,000 extortion fee.
Dozens of immigrants in New England and thousands nationwide potentially fall into those categories, according to figures from TRAC, a Syracuse University data research group, and the immigration courts, which are under the Department of Justice.
Have no outstanding appeal or claim for asylum or other humanitarian relief under our laws.
Immigration activists held a rally on Wednesday in New Haven against plans by federal officials to round up Central Americans who have recently crossed the border illegally. “Say NO to deportations”.
The raids also came as the Obama administration prepares to fight for its immigration reform efforts in the Supreme Court.
“To be on the safe side, just don’t answer the door”, he tells them. Hillary Clinton appealed to America’s “spirit of humanity and generosity”, while Bernie Sanders asked “what we would do if our children faced the danger and violence these children do?”
Obviously, sourcing more federal funds to the courts to make sure legit cases don’t slip through the cracks is not something most politicians are willing to propose when popular rhetoric in the country is antagonistic toward immigration in general.
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“We met someone who said she didn’t go to work because she was terrified of what was going on”, he explained.
