Massive ICE raids in California

SOME 1,157 people in California have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in just three weeks.

In an announcement on September 29, ICE credited this raid to a surge in the activity of its "fugitive response teams"--squads of agents with the specific task of deporting undocumented immigrants who have returned to the country after being deported or who have ignored their deportation orders.

The enormous sweep, which ended September 27, produced 436 arrests in the San Francisco area, 420 in the Los Angeles area and 301 in the San Diego area. ICE made a point to state that 346 of the people arrested had prior criminal convictions. Of the 1,157 arrested, only 595 had outstanding deportation orders.

The recent sweeps revealed a new strategy on the part of ICE agents. Along with the massive workplace raids that have taken place recently, which strike fear into undocumented workers and are used many times to shield union-busting by employers, ICE is increasingly conducting deportations in the ones and twos. This makes it harder for immigrant rights activists to respond to every raid and deportation, since there are literally hundreds spread out over a large area.

ICE is now claiming that it is chasing criminals and gang members to try to shield itself from any criticism that it is ripping apart families and destroying the lives of hardworking migrants. This is supposed to be the focus of fugitive response squads, which are meant to arrest people who avoided their deportation or have come back into the country illegally.

Most immigrants are forced to break certain laws--for example, using false papers or avoiding deportation orders--in order to stay in this country and work to feed their families. The targeting of workers for these violations says volumes about the unjust immigration laws that seek to criminalize immigrants by denying them the same rights as citizens.

ICE officials highlighted the arrests it made of undocumented immigrants with previous criminal records, including the victimless crime of drug possession. But they didn't explain how a deportation is punishment for somebody who has already paid their debt to society.

Immigrant rights activists in Los Angeles are keenly aware of how ICE uses the cover of police to carry out their dirty deeds. It is a well-known fact among activists that ICE and the LAPD come into a community "looking for a criminal," and many times do not find that person. However, they conveniently find groups of undocumented people to round up at the same time.

Even though the police aren't supposed to do the work of immigration agents, this de facto cooperation goes on every day.

Activists in the immigrant rights movement should stand up against the raids and call out any excuses ICE makes for deporting anyone in this country.