Undocumented migrants with no criminal records could be arrested in sweeps set to take place in sanctuary cities, according to President Donald Trump’s border czar. The target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are violent criminals, but others could be arrested in sanctuary cities that are unwilling to allow ICE into county jails to conduct arrests.
Tom Homan emphasized the challenges faced when public safety threats are released from sanctuary jails without providing access to ICE. This situation forces ICE to search in the community to find the individuals, potentially leading to the arrest of others who do not have criminal convictions but are in the country illegally.
Homan stated that there may be more collateral arrests in sanctuary cities due to the necessity of searching in the community to locate specific individuals. Despite this, he assured that these operations are well-planned because immigration officials have a clear understanding of who they are looking for and where they are likely to be found.
It is important to note that the term “sanctuary city” refers to jurisdictions, often led by Democrats, that have policies in place to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement actions. Across the nation, state and city officials have been making preparations for the impending immigration crackdown. Cities like Los Angeles have adopted “sanctuary city” ordinances that prohibit personnel from voluntarily cooperating with immigration enforcement.
