I feel such despair about this.
Federal authorities are expected to try to arrest thousands of immigrant families in at least 10 cities, including Houston, beginning as early as Sunday, rattling communities across the country who faced a similar scare last month.
President Donald Trump postponed such an operation in June, partly because of conflict among his immigration enforcement officials on how to conduct the raids and out of concern for officers’ safety after the president publicized the plans on Twitter. Trump said he was giving Democrats time to come up with a solution to the immigration crisis in Congress.
This weekend’s operation would likely focus on thousands of immigrants who recently crossed the border and have been issued a final order of deportation — even if they were never informed of their court date or were unable to make the hearing. But agents also are authorized to make “collateral” arrests and detain other immigrants they encounter, even if they were not the target.
Several national news outlets reported Thursday that the raids were planned for the coming week. Tim Oberle, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, declined to release details about any operation, citing “law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security” of agents.
Reports of an impending operation sparked renewed outrage and concern among immigrant communities and advocates. Nationwide protests outside immigrant detention centers are scheduled this weekend.
“People are very worried,” said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an advocacy group that will be on-call for reports of any enforcement activity. “We are getting a lot of calls asking, ‘Is it true that this is actually happening now?’”
[…]
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday in New York to stop the enforcement operation, arguing that affected immigrants were denied due process because they were not able to make their case for protection in court. It said many are asylum seekers who failed to appear because of “massive bureaucratic errors and, in some cases, deliberate misdirection.”
Notices to appear in court were often sent to wrong addresses or after hearings had passed, or they listed dates when the courts were not open.
“The agencies’ flagrant and widespread errors made it impossible for people to know when their hearings were being held,” the ACLU said in a statement.
[…]
A large-scale enforcement action focused on families, rather than criminals, would be unusual and difficult, said John Sandweg, a former acting director of ICE.
“There are serious operational challenges once you have that population in custody,” he said. “You need very tight plans on where you can hold families, for how long they are there, how you are going to transport them and where you can stage them.”
Remember, the cruelty is the point. The Trump administration cannot be trusted with families. It’s not just these raids, it’s also the inhumane conditions at detention centers and the continued state of fear and terror that immigrants are subject to. This is a crisis, and we don’t know how to respond to it. I know I feel paralyzed. It’s hard in part because there are so many crises, with new ones popping up each day. We all have a role to play, which we all need to figure out for ourselves, but it needs to start with leadership from all of our elected officials. Whatever part of this immoral machinery is within the jurisdiction of our city and our county, we need oversight, we need accountability, and where we can’t get these things we need resistance. Future generations are going to judge us for what we did and didn’t do.
UPDATE: Here’s a statement from Mayor Turner about the raids.
There was a reason that Obama was given the name, Deporter in Chief. Our own sheriff at that time Adrian Garcia was leading the nation in having people deported. The Harris County Democratic County Chairman, Lane Lewis closed the doors on the DREAMERS and refused to meet with them. A well connected female that worked for a Democrat JP, posted I will be hunting “Wetbacks” without any type of repercussions. Well known Houston “Chicano” blogger proudly defended Obama’s and Garcia’s action.
Trump has only made it racial and more hateful. History can be a bitch.
“People are very worried,” said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston…..”
Ha! What happened to all that “undocumented and unafraid” swagger? Why don’t you have your illegals marching in the streets now, Cesar?
Go Team ICE! Take back our streets.
Hey Manny:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/trump-poised-to-sign-a-radical-agreement-to-send-future-asylum-seekers-to-guatemala
This would be a game changer if it goes through, because then both the US AND Mexico could just immediately send illegals we catch directly to Guatemala. They won’t have to be detained for weeks on end, we won’t have to go through expensive removal court cases, just put them on a bus or plane and voila:
¡Bienvenido de nuevo a Guatemala!
This has the ancillary positive effect of putting a big dent in the human trafficking business. Who is going to pay ten grand to get to the US if it’s very likely they will just end up in Guatemala anyway? Are you from Eritria, Congo, or India? Pretty sure you don’t want to go into debt only to end up in Guatemala.
~hurts human traffickers
~keeps kids from being abused
~keeps women migrants from being raped on their journey
~keeps migrants out of our concentration camps
I see nothing but win here.
Bill you are a racist and proud one at that, but then if I recall correctly your mama thinks just like you so you had a role model.
One more thing Bill, the president of Guatemala is under criminal investigation but like the criminal that seats in the White House they can’t touch him while he is in office. He is trying to make a deal where he can flee to this country. Wonder where Trump will flee to to avoid the wall of steel that is awaiting to surrounds him? Russia?
Manny:
“The walls are closing in for Trump!”
“Racist!”
La misma mierda, todo los dias. Come up with some new material, Manny. At least TRY to formulate a reasoned reply once in a while. Surprise us!
Trump still hasn’t deported as many people as OBAMA. No one complained about OBAMA deporting people. All of this complaining is just so hypocritical.
Paul did you see my first statement? I often complained about Obama and Adrian Garcia.
Bill I will stop calling you a racist when you stop making statement that show that you are a racist.
What is immoral about sending back people who are here illegally? All countries protect their borders. Try staying in any other country illegally. I believe that we should admit more immigrants, but line jumpers, criminals, and scofflaws shouldn’t get priority over those who come here legally.
What is this statement from Mayor Turner about being a welcoming city? Does he not remember getting a letter from HUD about his policies promoting segregation? Public safety is a priority? Really. Try calling the city to get unsafe streets fixed, or call the police with a complaint and they will tell you it’s a civil matter, go out and get vengeance on your own.
Can you legislate morality?
When the shipley donuts factory got raided years ago nobody cried fowl at all. Where was the anger about morality?
https://www.chron.com/news/article/20-arrested-in-immigration-raid-at-Houston-1664461.php
Nobody? “Maria Jimenez, a longtime Houston immigrant rights activist, led a noon protest of the raid outside the Mickey Leeland Federal Building in downtown. Jimenez worries about the impact of stepped-up immigration enforcement efforts locally.”