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| Democrats call on Obama to end deportation raids on women and children | Democrats call on Obama to end deportation raids on women and children |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Nearly half of all Senate Democrats on Friday urged Barack Obama to put an end to deportation raids on women and children, as advocates expressed fears that immigration raids could resume this weekend. | |
| A multi-state round-up of Central American families three weeks ago caused alarm and anger in Latino communities and a political backlash which continues to resonate, with the Obama administration offering no indication that it would change course on its policy of prioritising recent border crossers even if they pose no apparent security threat. | A multi-state round-up of Central American families three weeks ago caused alarm and anger in Latino communities and a political backlash which continues to resonate, with the Obama administration offering no indication that it would change course on its policy of prioritising recent border crossers even if they pose no apparent security threat. |
| Related: Homeland security secretary defends deportation of Central Americans | Related: Homeland security secretary defends deportation of Central Americans |
| On Friday, 22 Democratic senators sent a letter to the president in which they expressed “serious reservations about these ongoing immigration raids”, adding that they were “deeply concerned that in its eagerness to deter additional arrivals from this region, the Department [of Homeland Security] is returning vulnerable individuals with valid protection claims to life-threatening violence.” | On Friday, 22 Democratic senators sent a letter to the president in which they expressed “serious reservations about these ongoing immigration raids”, adding that they were “deeply concerned that in its eagerness to deter additional arrivals from this region, the Department [of Homeland Security] is returning vulnerable individuals with valid protection claims to life-threatening violence.” |
| The letter continues: “It is important to evaluate this as a humanitarian and refugee crisis involving a vulnerable population and not strictly as a border security and immigration enforcement matter. Targeting families contradicts the administration’s repeated commitment to focus its enforcement resources on removing felons not families … Given the particular risks faced by these mothers and children, the tactic of using widely publicised, aggressive removal operations – often in the wee hours of the morning – is shocking and misguided.” | |
| The senators also called for those from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to be granted the temporary right to remain in the US because of the increased rates of violence in the countries from which they fled. John Kerry, the secretary of state, announced this month that the US would expand its refugee programme for the three countries. | The senators also called for those from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to be granted the temporary right to remain in the US because of the increased rates of violence in the countries from which they fled. John Kerry, the secretary of state, announced this month that the US would expand its refugee programme for the three countries. |
| Also on Friday, advocates warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials may seek to detain people now aged over 18 who entered the US as unaccompanied minors and have final deportation orders pending. | Also on Friday, advocates warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials may seek to detain people now aged over 18 who entered the US as unaccompanied minors and have final deportation orders pending. |
| Several calls and emails to ICE were not returned by Friday night. | Several calls and emails to ICE were not returned by Friday night. |
| The Obama administration appears determined to press ahead with the removal of families and young individuals despite fierce criticism from activists, lawyers and politicians in the wake of the round-ups at the start of the year. | The Obama administration appears determined to press ahead with the removal of families and young individuals despite fierce criticism from activists, lawyers and politicians in the wake of the round-ups at the start of the year. |
| Those raids saw ICE agents detain 121 people, most of them in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas who were recent arrivals from Central America. They were taken for final processing to a family detention centre in Texas. Within a week, about 77 were deported to Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, immigration officials said. In a statement, Jeh Johnson, the homeland security secretary, said the 121 individuals had “exhausted appropriate legal remedies”. | Those raids saw ICE agents detain 121 people, most of them in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas who were recent arrivals from Central America. They were taken for final processing to a family detention centre in Texas. Within a week, about 77 were deported to Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, immigration officials said. In a statement, Jeh Johnson, the homeland security secretary, said the 121 individuals had “exhausted appropriate legal remedies”. |
| But advocates scrambling to connect with them in the Texas detention centre before their removal said that they met with 12 families who had credible asylum claims and were successful in obtaining emergency stays for all of them. | But advocates scrambling to connect with them in the Texas detention centre before their removal said that they met with 12 families who had credible asylum claims and were successful in obtaining emergency stays for all of them. |
| With numbers of unaccompanied children and families apprehended at the south-west border on the rise again, sparking worries of a major influx of the kind seen in the summer of 2014 that overwhelmed facilities andthe legal system , the government is hoping the raids will act as a deterrent. | |
| However, advocates argue that they foster anxiety and distrust in the US but will not discourage Central Americans who fear for their lives amid rising violence. | However, advocates argue that they foster anxiety and distrust in the US but will not discourage Central Americans who fear for their lives amid rising violence. |
| They say that families and children should be low priorities for removal and that lawyers’ success in stalling deportations underlines that the orders stem from inadequate or non-existent legal representation rather than the intrinsic merits of their cases. | They say that families and children should be low priorities for removal and that lawyers’ success in stalling deportations underlines that the orders stem from inadequate or non-existent legal representation rather than the intrinsic merits of their cases. |
| “Somebody should not be deported because they missed a court deadline,” said Mohammad Abdollahi, a spokesman for Raices, a San Antonio legal advocacy organisation. | “Somebody should not be deported because they missed a court deadline,” said Mohammad Abdollahi, a spokesman for Raices, a San Antonio legal advocacy organisation. |
| Atkinson said that the early January raids had “caused panic” in migrant communities since news of the raids on families broke in the Washington Post shortly before Christmas. | Atkinson said that the early January raids had “caused panic” in migrant communities since news of the raids on families broke in the Washington Post shortly before Christmas. |
| Community leaders have reacted with outrage and groups such as United We Dream have initiated publicity campaigns urging migrants to know their rights and not to open their doors to ICE agents. | Community leaders have reacted with outrage and groups such as United We Dream have initiated publicity campaigns urging migrants to know their rights and not to open their doors to ICE agents. |
| “The administration’s message that these raids on women and children and deportations are routine and nothing to worry about is offensive and wrong,” said Greisa Martinez, advocacy coordinator with United We Dream. “There should be no ambiguity on this: the US government is sending children to their deaths and the Obama administration must put an end to it immediately.” | “The administration’s message that these raids on women and children and deportations are routine and nothing to worry about is offensive and wrong,” said Greisa Martinez, advocacy coordinator with United We Dream. “There should be no ambiguity on this: the US government is sending children to their deaths and the Obama administration must put an end to it immediately.” |
| Bishop Angel Marcial Estades, president of Fraternity of Evangelical Councils of Southeast Florida, said that his coalition had received multiple reports of potentially imminent ICE raids in Tampa, Dover, and southeast Orlando, Florida: “[Residents] are reporting strange movements from ICE vehicles passing through their communities as if they’re looking for something, and it’s frightening their families. | |
| The raids have put the Obama administration in an unusual and uncomfortable position: Donald Trump claimed credit for it, while nearly 150 Democratic politicians signed a letter calling for the policy to stop. Hillary Clinton said the raids “are divisive, they are sowing discord and fear.” | The raids have put the Obama administration in an unusual and uncomfortable position: Donald Trump claimed credit for it, while nearly 150 Democratic politicians signed a letter calling for the policy to stop. Hillary Clinton said the raids “are divisive, they are sowing discord and fear.” |
| More than 56,000 immigration court cases involving juveniles began in fiscal year 2014 – twice as many as last year. They resulted in 12,137 removal orders with 28,955 cases still pending, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Since the surge in the summer of 2014, about 18,500 women with children have been ordered removed. Statistics show that access to legal representation drastically improves migrants’ prospects of avoiding deportation, but undocumented immigrants are not entitled to public counsel. | More than 56,000 immigration court cases involving juveniles began in fiscal year 2014 – twice as many as last year. They resulted in 12,137 removal orders with 28,955 cases still pending, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Since the surge in the summer of 2014, about 18,500 women with children have been ordered removed. Statistics show that access to legal representation drastically improves migrants’ prospects of avoiding deportation, but undocumented immigrants are not entitled to public counsel. |