Over 680 arrested in US immigration raids; rights groups alarmed

He said the operations targeted convicted criminals, gang members, individuals who re-entered the country after being deported and individuals who had final removal orders from immigration judges.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they targeted known criminals and arrested hundreds of illegal immigrants in what they called an “enforcement surge” that began February 6 and took place in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and the Carolinas.

Meanwhile Kelly characterized the raids as “consistent with the routine, targeted arrests carried out by ICE’s Fugitive Operations teams on a daily basis”.

On Jan. 25, Trump signed the Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States executive order bringing back the Secure Communities Program, which from 2008 to 2014 drew a great deal of criticism, lawsuits, and became a symbol for hostility toward ICE and other agencies enforcing immigration laws.

The “targeted enforcement actions” took place in cities including Los Angeles, San Antonio, Atlanta and New York City.

Ramirez’s case in the latest in a string of immigration enforcement actions that have alarmed many people in the country who are undocumented or in programs that give them work authorization. “We have confirmed they have arrived to certain locations”. In six Midwestern states, 235 individuals were arrested, 163 having criminal convictions on their records.

“We’re getting them out, and that’s what I said I would do”, Trump said in a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, referring to “hardened criminals” arrested by ICE. The order stressed reasons for securing the US southern border and enforcing immigration law, and it ordered policy actions to that effect. Government immigration officials rather say the operation is a routine enforcement “surge”.

ICE spokesman Bryan Cox, who covers the southern region, did not respond to a request for the number of arrests in the Gainesville area.

ICE says some of those arrested will face charges from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Philadelphia officials are now working to determine how many immigrants have been impacted by the recent arrests.

Vela, who chairs the Congressional Border Caucus, said “this is like the travel ban;. they throw it out there without much thought, without analyzing it in terms of the real constitutional affects”. And while he said the recent ICE raids were similar to those that happened in the past, the fear of deportation within immigrant communities is higher than it was under Obama, because Trump has “vastly expanded” his enforcement priorities and is sticking with campaign promises to be tough on immigration. Marin also sharply criticized activist groups that characterized the operation as an indiscriminate series of raids, claiming such allegations put law enforcement officers and residents at risk.