While 2020’s Summer has forced many organizations and businesses to reel back operations for several months, many are attempting to get back to normal procedures for the Fall — including immigration and customs enforcement.
As the New York Times reports, ICE agents have apprehended more than 2,000 individuals since mid-July.
Felonies and minor offenses alike
According to the agency, nearly 85% of those arrested either had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. This included 14 homicides and 12 murder charges. They reported that their efforts eliminate the threat posed by these criminals. But their testimony does not match up with the data, as many of the undocumented immigrants arrested had only minor crimes or no crimes at all.
ICE has arrested and deported several people despite having no criminal record.
Holes left in rapid deportation
A mother of four faced sudden deportation amidst these arrests after six agents apprehended her after she parked for work. As an undocumented immigrant with deportation proceedings from 2012, she lacked the legal resources to appeal again. Authorities bussed her to Tijuana after a brief visit with her oldest son who is now appealing for guardianship of his three younger siblings in the absence of their mother.
Defenses for those in need
The rules for immigration removal can be complex and difficult to navigate. It can be too easy for the innocent to fall through these legal cracks. For these departments, it is just their job. For every person they apprehend, it boils down to one thing: their separation from families and the life they’ve known. An aggressive defense is the only answer in the face of deportation claims to keep people together.