A Michigan lawmaker is alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested suspected undocumented immigrants after stalking them “without warrants” as they took their children to school.
Democratic State Rep. Rashida Tlaib says that ICE agents stalked Detroit Hispanics on the city’s southwest side, and Ryan Bates, director of the Alliance for Immigrants Rights and Reform-Michigan, stated, “Some parents were trapped inside the school because they were too terrifies and frightened to leave because they thought they would get arrested.”
Bates told local reporters that this kind of action has added to the “pattern of abusive enforcement by ICE.”
Tlaib said known of those arrested have had criminal records.
Brian Hale, ICE Director of Public Affairs said, “While a preliminary analysis suggest that certain requirements were followed, elements of the operation appear to have been inconsistent with policy and our standards and priorities.
“ICE officers are required to follow a policy that prohibits operations near schools unless approved by headquarters. It is not clear that this policy was appropriately followed in this matter,” Hale said in a statement.”
ICE is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
