Washington – The arrests continued with an aggressive action more than a month ago, which began more than a month with the aim of tracking and detaining undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, according to Homeland Security data released Tuesday.
“Immigration enforcement operations for the Department of Homeland Security and its components are underway,” a homeland security official said in a statement to the Times. “Since operations began in June, ICE and CBP have arrested 2,792 illegal foreigners in the Los Angeles area.”
Federal authorities earlier said 1,618 undocumented immigrants were detained between June 6 (the start of the Department of Homeland Security operation in Los Angeles) and June 22. The new total includes nearly 1,200 arrests in just two weeks since then. During the protests, President Trump deployed the National Guard and the U.S. Marine Corps within the days after the operation began.
The latest figures came the day after dozens of immigrant agents and National Guard members crossed MacArthur Park west of downtown, forcing summer camp kids to be sent inside.
Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a “shame” and the action drew widespread condemnation from local officials. They repeatedly criticized federal operations for intimidating immigrant communities where businesses slowed down and many were struggling at home.
“The federal action last month did not represent the values of our city or our country,” said City Councilman Eunisses Hernandez, who represented the area. “Sending American soldiers at camps at bus stops and intimidating children did not make anyone safer. The attack on Home Depots did not stop crime. Keeping families away from their children does not stick to family values.
The president’s immigration crackdown in Los Angeles has been a test case for the Trump administration as it oppresses the lines of the executive, deploys federal agents and the military to a major metropolis, and deports large numbers of immigrants with its leadership responsibilities.
These detentions have proven challenges to local and state officials who have suffered setbacks in federal court to the White House’s ability to conduct law enforcement actions at the local level.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that Trump could maintain control of the California National Guard, and currently, he has taken extraordinary steps toward federal guards and deployed them to Los Angeles.
Wilner reported from Washington, Uranga, Los Angeles.
