UPDATE (12:25 p.m. PST) — President Trump had announced Saturday the delay of immigration raids scheduled to happen in 10 major U.S. cities on Sunday.
He shared the news on Twitter, saying he is postponing the raids “at the request of Democrats.”
At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border. If not, Deportations start!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2019
President Trump also said in the tweet that he will delay the procedures for two weeks to see if lawmakers can reach an agreement on the “Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern border.” He threatened deportation if they do not find a solution.
Up to 2,000 people across the United States were expected to be targeted by the immigration raids.
Major U.S. cities from Los Angeles to New York are preparing for immigration authorities to begin mass raids targeting up to 2,000 people living in the country without legal permission.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will seek out families facing deportation orders, acting Director Mark Morgan said Friday.
On Saturday morning on Twitter, President Trump tweeted about the pending raids.
The people that Ice will apprehend have already been ordered to be deported. This means that they have run from the law and run from the courts. These are people that are supposed to go back to their home country. They broke the law by coming into the country, & now by staying.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2019
The agency has not announced where the roundups will take place, but officials in cities such as Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles released statements Friday opposing the campaign.
According to NBC News, Ras J. Baraka, mayor of Newark, New Jersey, fiercely condemned President Donald Trump and the operation, calling it “racist, bigoted, and inhumane.” Baraka and the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association said in a joint statement that they were committed to protecting immigrant communities.
“This outrageous tearing of families apart and causing fear in communities across America is clearly a political stunt, coming on the heels of Trump’s kick-off of his re-election campaign,” they said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she ordered Chicago police to remove ICE access to city databases related to federal immigration enforcement activities.
“Chicago will always be a welcoming city and a champion for the rights of our immigrant and refugee communities, and I encourage any resident in need of legal aid to contact the National Immigrant Justice Center,” Lightfoot said in a statement.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Twitter that it would not be participating in the raids and that it is “committed to protecting the public through meaningful relationship building.”
“People deserve certainty in their lives, especially those who have been living in our community and making positive contributions,” Turner said in his statement. “We are a country that places a high premium on families and we need to be cautious about separating parents from children or uprooting entire families.”
New York’s Office of Immigration Affairs tweeted a video Friday nightaddressing the planned raids with a link to a “Know Your Rights” flyer. Bitta Mostofi, the department’s commissioner, also reminded residents they are entitled to access to free legal immigration advice funded by the city.
“As always, New York City — your city — stands with you,” Mostofi said in the video.
