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Trump immigration sweeps will target 140 people in Southern California, LAPD says
By RICHARD WINTON
JUN 21, 2019 | 1:55 PM
Trump immigration sweeps will target 140 people in Southern California, LAPD says
Immigration arrest in 2018. (Associated Press)
Federal immigration officials plan new sweeps targeting migrants with orders for removal from the United States beginning Sunday, with about 140 individuals targeted in Southern California, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Friday.
In an interview with The Times, Moore said his department will play no role in the arrests and that he’s concerned the federal action could heighten fears in parts of L.A.
"We know how unsettling and scary this is for the community,” Moore said. “We are not an extension of ICE…. I do worry about the intimidation it can create.”
Immigration rights groups and others have been bracing for new sweeps after the president threatened action earlier this week.
Trump tweeted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would start deporting “millions of illegal aliens” next week. But it’s unclear whether mass arrests will actually occur because the agency lacks the resources it would need to remove more than a small fraction of the 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
But local law enforcement officials believe those numbers will be much smaller.
An administration official said the effort would focus on people who had been issued final deportation orders by federal judges but remained at large in the country.
Trump has threatened a series of increasingly drastic actions as he tries to stem the flow of Central American migrants crossing the southern border, which has risen dramatically on his watch.
Local law enforcement agencies have been odds with Trump over his immigration crackdown, saying it makes it more difficult to get those here illegally to cooperate in crime investigations out of fear they will be deported.
“A person’s immigration [status] isn’t a police matter,” Moore said.
The chief said his department has gotten some information from ICE about the plans but is still seeking more details.
The Los Angeles raids would be part of a larger nationwide crackdown, but it’s unclear what other cities might be involved."
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-immigration-sweeps-southern-california-20190621-story.html