The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known by its acronym ICE, arrested close to 500 undocumented immigrants from 42 countries over a four-day period. This Federal operation, named Operation Safe City, specifically targeted sanctuary cities throughout the country.
During this operation, ICE arrested 101 people in Los Angeles and 107 in Philadelphia – the two cities with most arrests in Operation Safe City. Denver had the third highest number of arrests, but ICE also detained people in Boston, Portland, and Northern California.
Of the 498 undocumented immigrants taken into custody, 317 of them had a criminal conviction, the most common offense being driving under the influence. Other offenses included drug trafficking, domestic abuse, assault and battery, trespassing, and invasion of privacy.
In the first quarter of Donald Trump’s first year as President of the United States, ICE arrests increased about 40 percent. During those first three months, ICE made 41,318 arrests – that’s over 11,000 more than last year around that same time.
Sanctuary cities like Los Angeles limit local law enforcement’s cooperation with Federal agencies like ICE. Donald Trump threatened all cities who offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, saying he would cut their federal funding.
ICE’s director, Thomas D. Homan, issued a statement, saying:
Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration. As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities.
Operations like the four-day nationwide hunt of undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities get carried out early in the morning. Typically, agents spy on their targets days before the arrests and pick them up as they’re on their way to work.
While some of the arrested individuals do have violent criminal records, the majority only have petty crime on their record like marijuana possession or a DUI. Still, though, ICE agents believe sanctuary cities prevent the Federal agency from arresting dangerous criminals.
The assistant field office director for ICE in L.A., Jorge Field, confirmed they arrested 167 people in seven Southern California counties on illegal immigration charges. He also stated that undocumented criminals take advantage of sanctuary cities:
Laws created under the guise to protect immigrants who are here to better their lives are being used by criminal elements to protect themselves. Having to make these arrests in public puts more people in danger.
Trump has been true to his campaign promise of making illegal immigration priority number one: His wall is still a bit of a circus act but deporting undocumented immigrants seems to be Trump’s way of keeping his voters happy. Meanwhile, his attorney general Jeff Sessions takes care of punishing sanctuary cities.