Where Have Immigration Raids Happened in Last 48 Hours?

By:
Feb 11, 2017
1:59 PM

UPDATE, February 12, 2017: ICE has confirmed arrests of nearly 40 people in New York area.

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First of all, before everyone jumps to the conclusion that we are just listing this post because Donald Trump is now president and we never did this when Barack Obama was in office, just read this or this or this. In fact, we actually launched a crowdsourcing immigration raid reporting system during the Obama administration and plan to redesign it again. And finally, we were one of the first outlets to consistently speak out against this country’s immigration enforcement policy, one that blossomed under the first Deporter-in-Chief and growing even more under the new Deporter-in-Chief.

What has happened in the last 48 hours has happened before, as early as last winter under Obama, but the news that immigration raids are back in the public eye is sending shock waves throughout the community.

Does it feel like the national media is more vocal about it? Perhaps, especially since the Thursday deportation of Guadalupe García de Rayos made national news. But, this is nothing new and yes, the Obama deportation machine is now Trump’s machine and from the looks of it, the machine is just starting to roar.

In our years of covering these real stories, the fear right now is palpable out there and there are plenty of legitimate sources telling Latino Rebels today that the worst is yet to come.

So far, here are links to just some of the reports chronicling what has happened in the last 48 hours:

Georgia

This local story from Decaturish offers some very specific reporting about raids in Georgia and other parts of the South. The story also pointed to a local alert from Savannah about raids and detentions.

The Decaturish story also quoted an attorney who said this, “We’re hearing reports they’re taking into custody anyone else in the house.”

Atlanta’s ICE office, according to Decaturish, is saying that this series of raids is nothing new.

Texas

This story from The Statesman provided a timeline of raids occurring in Texas. Here is latest update from that story:

5:20 p.m. update: U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, has confirmed what many on social media throughout Texas have suspected: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are conducting sweeping raids and arrests across the state.

“I have been informed by ICE that the agency’s San Antonio field office has launched a targeted operation in South and Central Texas as part of Operation Cross Check,” Castro said in a statement. “I am asking ICE to clarify whether these individuals are in fact dangerous, violent threats to our communities, and not people who are here peacefully raising families and contributing to our state. I will continue to monitor this situation.”

The Mexican Consulate in Austin has confirmed to the American-Statesman that 30 Mexican immigrants were detained by ICE on Friday and 14 were detained Thursday. By comparison, the Austin consulate had seen an average of four to five Mexican immigrants detained daily in recent years.

In addition, Rep. Castro tweeted this on Friday:

California

Fusion’s Jorge Rivas wrote a piece on Friday where ICE confirmed that about 160 individuals were detained in Southern California.

Immigration officials on Friday confirmed approximately 160 immigrants were arrested in raids conducted in six Southern California counties.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said the raids targeted “at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives.”

Rumors of the raids and checkpoints at traffic lights sent a wave of fear across the Southland. ICE officials initially denied any targeted operations were taking place and said reports that 100 immigrants were detained were exaggerated.

Rivas also tweeted out a video of LA protests that happened on Thursday:

In addition, the Twitter profile of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) tweeted this on Friday:

Sen. Feinstein also issued this statement:

“I’m alarmed by reports of immigration enforcement in homes and workplaces in California. President Trump has already ignited widespread fear and confusion in our immigrant communities with his executive order and divisive campaign rhetoric. If the reports are accurate, these raids only add to the anxiety about what’s to come from this administration.

“News reports indicate that up to 100 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles County have been arrested by federal immigration agents in recent days.

“These reports show the serious consequences of the president’s executive order, which allows all undocumented immigrants to be categorized as criminals and requires increased enforcement in communities, rather than prioritizing dangerous criminals.

“President Trump’s policy change betrays our values. Tearing families apart isn’t what this country stands for and I am working closely with local law enforcement, public officials and advocates to make sure that doesn’t happen in my state.”

North Carolina

Despite reports from ICE denying that raids are happening in the Charlotte, there is a local report said that ICE conducted 200 arrests in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

The Washington Post has also reported that raids have occurred in Chicago and New York as well.

News of the raids led to protests in New York…

and in LA.

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)’s David Abud issued this statement about the ICE news:

“We recognize these raids as an effort by ICE and the new administration to sow chaos and intimidate our communities. They are attempting to normalize these attacks towards our community and we must be ready, at a moments notice, to mobilize and resist. In the face of these efforts, we will remain vigilant, focused, and organized. We are now more than ever emboldened to fight every single deportation and all further attacks on our communities in whatever form they may appear.”

“Ironically, this most recent attempt to terrorize Los Angeles residents will likely compel local elected officials to take more aggressive actions themselves. When Mr Trump was first elected, we heard many statements offering moral support for communities the has threatened. Now it is time for leaders to action and to demonstrate the courage that immigrants are showing in response to Mr Trump’s bullying.”

“In Los Angeles, we will continue to push for Universal Representation and to make it a Sanctuary City that provides safety for all of its residents. Throughout California, a consensus is emerging in support of SB-54 (The “Values Act,” Senator de Leon) which would ensure public safety for all California residents.”

ICE has said that it will share more details about the actions on Monday. It also said that some of these current actions have nothing to do with Trump’s new immigration executive orders, according to NBC News: “David Marin, ICE’s field office director for enforcement and removal operations in greater Los Angeles, said an enforcement sweep in California was in the planning stages ‘before the administration came out with their current executive orders.'”

Meanwhile, in an email it sent to our founder on Saturday, ICE has issued this statement about the raids:

Furthermore, there are reports that more raids will continue over the weekend (now CONFIRMED by ICE):