Posted on 02/10/2017 7:55:51 PM PST by 11th_VA
AUSTIN - After a day of reports surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions at various locations throughout Austin, Congressman Joaquin Castro confirmed a targeted operation by ICE in South and Central Texas. The Mexican Consulate of Austin has since confirmed 44 Mexican immigrants were detained in the past 48 hours in Austin.
Here’s a look at what KVUE knows about the situation: Immigration officer incident
Early Friday morning, an incident was reported between an immigration officer and another person. Austin Police said the incident started after a traffic stop was made by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer that then turned physical.
KVUE spoke with the mother-in-law, Teresa Velazquez, of the man who was eventually detained and she said an ICE officer claimed to have a warrant and tried to detain the man. After running, the man and the immigrations officer ended up in a physical confrontation.
As Friday morning continued to roll on, social media began to fill with posts from people reporting ICE raids and arrests throughout the community. KVUE began investigating the reports with law enforcement and Defender Tony Plohetski talked to law enforcement sources at the federal, state, and local levels and none reported any operations outside of their daily action.
“As a federal agency, ICE has jurisdiction and doesn’t have to tell us when they are conducting operations in Austin,” APD Interim Chief Brian Manley said Friday. “I’ve not been made aware that anything is different.”
ICE released a statement Friday that read:
“ICE conducts operations daily nationwide. ICE does not conduct random sweeps; all ICE operations are based on investigative leads. By removing from the streets criminal aliens and other threats to the public, ICE helps improve public safety.”
Shortly before noon Friday, Austin City Councilman Gregorio Casar said in a statement on social media that his office had confirmed “a large amount of Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Austin.”
Casar continued in his statement saying, “ICE is out in public arresting people in order to retaliate against our community for standing up for our values against people like Abbott and Trump.”
At a press conference later, Casar said he confirmed the raids through the media.
“Multiple members, I think, of the media here reported on an arrest this morning and multiple members of the media here reported on the video that happened right up the street here at Whataburger, so that is another public ICE action,” Casar said. “As you heard from multiple speakers with years of experience these sorts of public arrests are clear demonstrations of trying to intimidate the community.”
Texas State Senator Dawn Buckingham took to Facebook Friday afternoon called Casar's statements, "outrageous."
"Not only does questioning law enforcement put our communities at risk, it paints a bull's-eye on the backs of the brave men and women sworn to protect us under extremely challenging circumstances," Buckingham said on Facebook.
As morning turned to afternoon, a video began to make the rounds on social media of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest that took place Friday morning. The arrest was captured on video by a Central Texas man near the intersection of Lamar Avenue and Rundberg Lane.
The video showed multiple pickup trucks surrounding a black pickup truck with ICE officers working around the truck and at least one person in custody. A minivan and a full-size van both appeared on the scene before the video ended.
The video was viewed more than half a million times by Friday evening and had been shared almost 20,000 times.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement Friday evening:
"I have been informed by ICE that the agency’s San Antonio field office has launched a targeted operation in South and Central Texas as part of Operation Cross Check. I am asking ICE to clarify whether these individuals are in fact dangerous, violent threats to our communities, and not people who are here peacefully raising families and contributing to our state. I will continue to monitor this situation."
An ICE operation in 2015 named "Cross Check" lasted five days and resulted in more than 2,000 convicted criminal aliens being arrested across the nation. ICE also conducted an operation called "Cross Check" in 2012 that resulted in more than 3,000 criminal aliens and others being arrested.
Immigration lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch indicated one of the biggest problems facing the immigrant community is a lack of clarity over who may be targeted.
“Under the Obama administration, we understood who the priorities for enforcement were for the agency,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “We had memos that laid it out that said felons, people with significant misdemeanors, recent immigration violations. These are the people that the agency wants to deport.”
Lincoln-Goldfinch continued, “Now, under the Trump Administration, under the executive actions, everyone who is in the U.S. who is undocumented is an enforcement priority for the agency. So essentially, no one is safe; even people who have clear criminal histories.”
In a Friday evening press conference, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley again said that ICE has legal jurisdiction in the area and that means ICE can conduct actions without checking in with police beforehand.
Still, Manley said that APD’s purpose is to keep all residents of Austin safe, regardless of their citizenship status. “I want to reach out to the immigrant community and reaffirm that we are here for you as we are here for anybody else in our community,” Manley said.
The chief said that immigrants should not be fearful to reach out to Austin Police and that police officers are not concerned about a person’s citizenship status and is instead, “absolutely, 100 percent focused on the safety of citizens.”
Here’s “what we know”
Put two zeros after that number and we’ll be making real progress.
What do you call 44 illegal aliens seized by ICE?
A start.
TEARS OF JOY
Yep, consider this a warm up, stretching exercise for ICE.
Make it clear that anyone that has to be forcibly deported will not be allowed back into the United States ever again. 44 will cause 440000 to self deport.
9th Circuit, where are you? ! LOL
Placemark.
What We Know:
It’s a start, only 29,999,846 to go.
Uh, oh!
Better watch out, you ICE people.
The 9th Circus Court and that judge in Washington will find a way to get involved, and put a stop to your law enforcement, while accusing you of being Trump’s puppets.
One Austin city council member definitely takes his role outside natural law and statutory law to shield illegal aliens. Austin district 4 councilman Gregorio Casar posted a bi-lingual entreaty on his Facebook page that instructs illegals on how to fight back against ICE enforcement officers.
Lincoln-Goldfinch continued, “Now, under the Trump Administration . . . essentially, NO ONE IS SAFE [emphasis added]; even people who have clear criminal histories.”
No. Lincoln-Goldfinch is wrong. Lots of people are safe from deportation . . . all those who have legally entered and have ‘green cards’ or some other legally enforceable documentation. This is called doing it LEGALLY! Millions of people have done it.
Oldplayer
Go Make Mexico Great Again.
I believe that criminal aliens were also arrested and deported under Obama, but now the Rats and the Enemedia are going to make a stink about it.
Lincoln-Goldfinch continued, “Now, under the Trump Administration, under the executive actions, everyone who is in the U.S. who is undocumented is an enforcement priority for the agency. So essentially, no one is safe; even people who have clear criminal histories.”
That’s right sweetie, no one who is in this country illegally is “safe” from being deported now. And just WTF is a “clear criminal history?” They all have a “criminal history” just by the fact of them being here illegally. And you’re a lawyer?
from serving Tacos to illegals to showing them the door ,it must feel good
What lack of clarity? If you are here illegally, you are subject to deportation under existing law and if ICE finds you they have no choice but to carry out the law. Very simple. ...and long overdue.
Good. Let's do it again tomorrow.
Hey Chief...it's good that you are “absolutely, 100 percent focused on the safety of citizens.”.....
But the others are illegal aliens.....and ICE is 100% focused on them.....as it should be.
Rounding up 44 illegals in Austin is like rounding up 44 fire ants in a mound in your front yard. There are probably thousands in the Austin area alone.
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