Increased ICE enforcement actions sweep through Boston, challenging 'sanctuary cities' under Trump's newly implemented operation
In a controversial move, the Federal Immigration Authority has launched 'Patriot 2.0' in the Boston area, targeting immigrants at work sites, public spaces, and courthouses. The operation, which has sparked concern and controversy, has been met with support from Republican Massachusetts U.S. Atty. Leah Foley, who is ready to prosecute immigrants without legal status who commit crimes.
However, the names of the officials leading the operation remain undisclosed, causing a lack of transparency. This lack of information has led to speculation and concerns about the true intentions of the operation.
Advocates like Alexandra Peredo Carroll argue that the Trump administration is targeting individuals who are going through the legal process, potentially leading to more families being torn apart and individuals with no criminal history being rounded up. The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Boston Mayor Michelle Wu over the city's 'sanctuary city' policies, further fueling the controversy.
The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, has become a frequent target for criticism over her defense of the city's so-called sanctuary policies. Meanwhile, volunteers at New Hampshire's Portsmouth International Airport in Pease have documented the transfer of over 300 individuals since early August, with at least five flights per week from New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.
Noncriminals have also been swept up in raids that ICE calls 'collateral arrests.' In California, seven out of 10 immigrants arrested in June had no criminal conviction, contradicting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin's statement about focusing on 'the worst of the worst' criminal illegal aliens.
The Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts has staffed its hotline with interpreters speaking English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole to collect information about ICE sightings. Protesters have been arrested on trespassing charges at the ICE office in Burlington, adding to the growing tension.
Kevin Lam, co-executive director of the Asian American Resource Workshop, reports a 'spike' in ICE activity, including the detainment of five Vietnamese residents from a Boston neighborhood last week. Many immigrants express fear about everyday tasks like picking up their kids at school and riding on public transportation.
ICE has been utilizing a New Hampshire airport to transport detainees from New England. The organization has called for volunteers who speak languages like Cape Verdean Kriolu, Nepali, and Vietnamese to help manage the influx. ICE did not respond to requests from the Associated Press about the number of immigrants detained since 'Patriot 2.0' began.
ICE has contracts to detain people at multiple correctional facilities across New England, including county jails, a federal prison in Berlin, NH, and a privately-owned prison in Central Falls, RI. Both criminal suspects and asylum-seekers are being detained in the current enforcement operation.
In California, a Tunisian man recounts 13 days of sickness, undernourishment, and sleep deprivation in an ICE facility after being arrested while en route to the supermarket. The number of immigration arrests in the L.A. region quadrupled from April to June, adding to the growing concerns about the impact of the operation on immigrant communities.
