Immigrant Communities Brace For Possible ICE Raids On Sunday

ICE agents at a home in Atlanta during a targeted enforcement operation in 2017

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are expected to conduct raids in New York and other major cities this weekend, as part of a mass arrest operation that advocates say is intended to strike fear into the hearts of immigrant communities.

The raids, which could begin on Sunday and last for multiple days, will reportedly target thousands of families who crossed the border in the last year or two and missed immigration court dates. There is a possibility of "collateral" deportations, anonymous federal officials told the Times, meaning immigrants who ICE did not initially intend to detain could get caught up in the sweep.

It remains unclear how big the operation will be, or whether it will actually come to pass. A similar raid planned in June was called off at the last minute, after President Trump faced resistance from some in his own administration.

Legal experts say many immigrants missed court dates because they were never notified properly, due to errors on the part of the government. They say there's a long history of sending out notifications to the wrong address or without complete information.

Earlier this week, a woman with an 8-year-old son living in the Bronx told WNYC/Gothamist that, after making the journey from El Salvador last year, she received a letter in March telling her to appear in court. But that notice did not have a date on it. When she called for more information, she said she learned she had missed the court date and was ordered removed in absentia.

"I feel that I really wanted to go...to the appointment because I want to stay in this country," she told us. She said she worried she and her son would be killed by gang members if they were forced to return to El Salvador.

On Thursday, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Southern California filed a preemptive lawsuit to prevent anyone from being deported because they missed a court appearance over the last five years. They alleged that in thousands of cases dating back to 2014, the government had "mailed notices to incorrect addresses; sent them with no date or time; and set hearings for dates—including weekends—when no hearings were being held at all."

The NYCLU also sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio this week, reminding him that no city employees, including police officers, should accommodate any requests from ICE. The mayor recently defended the city's expanded cooperation with the agency, after agreeing to add to the list of crimes for which immigrants will be turned over to ICE.

De Blasio will be traveling to Wisconsin later today, before spending the weekend in Iowa. A campaign spokesperson did not respond to Gothamist's inquiries about whether he plans on returning to the city Sunday if the raids do end up happening. He is currently scheduled to attend a Corn Feed in Cedar Rapids.

Local community groups, meanwhile, say they've stepped in to fill the void left by the mayor's absence. Nayim Islam, an immigrant rights organizer at DRUM, told Gothamist the group will be in Brookyln and Queens throughout the weekend, passing out flyers and hosting training sessions to inform people of their rights. He urged New Yorkers to document any ICE activity, but to exercise caution in spreading unconfirmed rumors.

"There's a lot of misinformation and lack of information, right now, so people are panicking," said Islam. "We know these raids are meant as a scare tactic to silence immigrant communities. Panic doesn't help anyone. We need power. We need people to know their rights. We need people connected."

Beth Fertig is a senior reporter covering courts and legal affairs at WNYC. You can follow her on Twitter at @bethfertig.