More than 680 immigrants were detained last week under a series of raids implemented by the Trump administration.
According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly, these targeted enforcement operations took place in the Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Atlanta, and New York City areas.
Of the immigrants included in these raids, 75% were criminals. While the DHS did not release a full breakdown on exactly what crimes they committed, it could be anything from being convicted of a felony or being here with an expired visa. Immigrants in the U.S. with expired visas has been a problem for numerous years — even though there are more than 20 different types of visas for temporary nonimmigrant workers, some people choose to stay even after it expires.
In a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Trump referenced his campaign pledge of removing illegal immigrants as his reasoning for authorizing the raids.
?We?re getting them out, and that?s what I said I would do,? Trump said in a press conference, referring to the criminals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. ?I?m just doing what I said I would do when we won by a very, very large electoral college vote.? The Huffington Post reports that Trump explained that he had promised during his campaign ?to get the bad ones … and that?s exactly what we?re doing.?
While some may be shocked at this number, statistics show that these raids were routine. In fact, there were more undocumented illegal immigrants detained under the Obama administration. Back in 2015, Obama’s Cross Check Operation arrested more than 2,000 convicted criminals in a five-day raid across the nation.
Additionally,The Christian Science Monitor reports that these targeted enforcement operations gathered 1,660 immigrants back in 2013, and 3,000 each in both 2011 and 2012.
These statistics make immigration raids nothing new to this country, but what is changing is the definition of criminal. President Obama’s sweeps focused solely on hardened criminals such as gang members, convicted criminal aliens, and those who entered the country illegally. However, since the president has full authority to determine who is a priority for deportation, Trump could be switching the focus.
Rather than concentrating on individuals who pose an immediate threat to their community, President Trump is aiming his attention at any immigrant who has been charged with an offense. This could include minors, pregnant mothers, and the elderly, with the decision being up to the judgment of the immigration officer.
This expansive approach is exemplified by the fact that Trump has recently signed an executive order calling for the hiring of 10,000 additional ICE agents as soon as possible.
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