ICE agents are planning to carry out mass raids across Los Angeles before the end of the month, according to a leaked internal government memo.
The document, seen by The Los Angeles Times, revealed that the immigration sweep would target people without legal status in the U.S. and those with pending orders of removal.
Several law enforcement officials are believed to have received the memo last week and FBI agents have also been ordered to play a part in the raids, the report adds.
The dates on which the raids would go ahead have not been revealed.
Reports on families being swept up and torn apart by immigration officials this week suggested that the LA immigration purge had already begun.
So far, LA has had a limited number of immigration arrests, according to Ice, but since President Trump took office, the federal law enforcement agency has posted frequent daily updates on the number of arrests and deportations across the country.
Nearly three weeks ago, the LA Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), revealed they had assisted ICE officials with patrolling the streets, in cooperation with the U.S. Justice Department and Homeland Security (DHS), as per a video that was tweeted on X.
An anonymous federal law enforcement source disclosed to the newspaper that ICE was working with other agencies such as the FBI and the DEA because the immigration operation was too grave to handle independently.
In short, “they needed more bodies,” the official told The Times.
The agent also advised that the “chaotic” nature of Trump’s hurried immigration orders could lead to resentment and inevitable pushback from other agencies called in to support the raids.
“Just because certain information is being given doesn’t mean it’s the administration’s plan, because they know some agents are going to be resistant”, they added.
The Washington Post has since revealed, as of Tuesday, that two top ICE officials have been removed from their positions and Trump clambers to keep his pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
Russell Hott, acting executive associate director of ERO (enforcement and removal operations), and Peter Berg, ICE’s deputy executive associate director, will return, to the agency’s Washington field office and St. Paul, Minnesota, reported The Post.
Todd Lyons, assistant director of ICE’s field operations, will take over as acting head of ERO, according to officials to the newspaper.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller refused to comment on the planned mass raids to The Times but confirmed the FBI’s participation in supporting ICE operations.
“We’re primarily a supportive role for these operations”, she told them.
Last week, ICE announced the arrest of former major league baseball Japanese-language interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison for illegally using $17 million in funds from baseball star Shohei Ohtani to pay off personal gambling debts and forging a fake tax return.
The Independent contacted the LA ICE Field Office and FBI LA for comment.
