After more than 80 undocumented immigrants were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a surprise raid over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan met with agency heads in Washington D.C. to demand better communication and more accountability.
Despite making numerous efforts to obtain information about the arrests, Pocan said his office only learned the full details of the weekend after the agency published a statement Tuesday.
“I’m disappointed that ICE did not relay details regarding the arrests to my office and instead decided to highlight a select few cases in outreach to the media,” Pocan said in a press release. “I demand further information regarding the individuals who have been detained with either no prior criminal record, or who have been detained for minor offenses including traffic violations.”
Between Friday and Monday, ICE agents launched a “targeted enforcement” effort across the state. Some detainees remain in ICE custody pending deportation, according to a press release from the agency.
“This operation targeted criminal aliens, public safety threats and individuals who have violated our immigration laws,” said Ricardo Wong in a press release, field director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arm in Chicago. “Operations like this reflect the vital work our ERO officers do everyday to protect our communities, uphold public safety and protect the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The majority of the detainees are originally from Mexico, but others came from Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Thailand and Vietnam. Of the 83 arrested, ICE reported half had criminal records.
Pocan plans to ask officials why ICE is no longer focusing on arresting individuals associated with serious crimes, as well as why the agency refused to cooperate with local law enforcement officials during these arrests.
“I will press officials to explain why they were uncooperative with local and federal officials who sought answers both during and following the recent raids,” Pocan said. “These actions are unacceptable.”
