The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Advocates brace for possible ICE raids
Immigration advocates across Connecticut started mobilizing Friday afternoon after learning that President Donald Trump has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin mass roundups of migrant families with deportation orders this weekend.
“Since the news of this announcement, immigration advocates all around the state have been putting together rapid response plans,” said Kica Matos, a longtime immigration rights advocate from New Haven. “We will fight with everything we have to protect and defend our immigrant communities.”
Matos said a statewide rally will be held on the steps of City Hall in New Haven on Wednesday at 6 p.m. to show support for
immigrants.
“It is time for all of us to come together and stand up against hate,” she said.
“I don’t expect a huge wave of ICE agents sweeping through Connecticut,” said Alok Bhatt, community defense coordinator with the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are calling the impending raids the “family op,” according to the Washington Post. The operation is slated to target up to 2,000 families in as many as 10 major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and Houston.
“Even the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security reportedly opposes Trump’s plan for a mass roundup of migrant families and children,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in a prepared statement. “This cruel, shameful policy will produce enduring damage.”
News of the operation came after Trump tweeted Monday that the immigration raids were expected next week, saying they would deport “millions of illegal aliens.”
“Candidate Trump started his campaign by insulting an entire population of people,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, said in a prepared statement. “Fast forward four years and he’s kicking off re-election by threatening to deport ‘millions’ of people for political gain. This administration’s immigration policy is backwards and does nothing to make us safer.”
Connecticut Students for a Dream put out a statement about Trump’s tweet earlier in the week, claiming he was using “fearmongering and anti-immigrant language” to “score political points.”
“Our message to our immigrant community in Connecticut is not to panic,” said Lucas Codognolla, the group’s executive director. “There is no doubt that the purpose of Trump making these vague threats is more about scoring political points with his base on the eve of his re-election bid announcement than about actual policy.”
Camila Bortolleto, campaign manager of Connecticut Students for a Dream in Danbury, said state residents should stay calm and be prepared.
“Our immigrant community should always be cautious and knowledgeable of our rights, but this isn’t a reason for more fear,” Bortolleto said. “We encourage you to educate yourself, your family, and your community on the rights that you have regardless of your immigration status. Please be aware of the resources in your community and nationally that you can use to reach out to in case help is needed.”
The raids are expected to start Sunday morning and continue for several days, according to the Washington Post, which reported that ICE agents are expected to use hotel rooms as temporary staging areas to detain parents and children until all members of a family are together and ready to be deported.
ICE agents at local field offices are being briefed and trained, a senior immigration official told CNN. Preparations are being put into place for families with mixed immigration status, the official said.
“Due to law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, the agency will not offer specific details related to ongoing enforcement operations before the conclusion of those actions,” ICE said in a statement Friday, according to CNN.