Detroit (FOX 2) – Some are concerned about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Southwest Detroit, a Hispanic-majority neighborhood, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of mass deportations.
ICE in Detroit
What we know:
Gabriela Santiago-Romero, a Detroit City Councilwoman, said she learned Tuesday that ICE agents were spotted in Southwest Detroit. One video she received showed agents outside a home in the area.
“We see people taking videos of ICE on Vernor and Michigan Avenue, and they are scared,” the councilwoman said.
Santiago-Romero stated that she went to the house shown in the video, but ICE had left. She is now focusing on documenting these incidents so that she can report them to congress members.
She said she contacted Detroit Police Interim Chief Todd Bettison to “ensure that Detroit police will not be working with ICE for any immigration raids.”
She also mentioned that business owners and residents in Detroit are asking if they should expect raids. Santiago-Romero stated that she is telling people no, but she also wants them to understand their rights if they encounter ICE.
“If you are undocumented, you have the right not to open your door to ICE. They must show you the warrant. It must be signed by a judge,” she explained.
Santiago-Romero also stated that people stopped by ICE while outside their homes have the right to tell the agents that they want to speak with their lawyer before answering any questions.
What we don’t know:
It is unclear why ICE agents were observed visiting a Southwest Detroit home this week.
Santiago-Romero did mention that because the neighborhood is so close to the Canadian border, ICE officers are frequently seen patrolling.
As she gathers more information, she encourages residents to be prepared and aware of their rights.
FOX 2 has contacted ICE for information on the agents in the area. We are waiting for a response.
Trump’s immigration plans
The backstory:
After taking office for his second term this week, Trump issued a number of executive orders, including several on immigration. The president has promised mass deportation, claiming that such measures are necessary to protect Americans.
“Our southern border is overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries, and illicit narcotics that harm Americans, including America,” the president stated in an order declaring a southern border emergency.
The president has stated that he intends to conduct the “largest deportation program in American history.”
“I’ll declare a national emergency along our southern border. “All illegal entry will be halted immediately, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens to the places from which they came,” Trump said in his inaugural address on Monday.
Big picture view:
Though it’s unclear how Trump intends to carry out mass deportations, the presence of ICE agents in major cities like Detroit and Chicago has alarmed some.
The Revcom Corps for the Emancipation of Humanity is based in Chicago. On Tuesday, Chicagoans gathered to protest deportations and raids targeting undocumented immigrants.
