Donald Trump plans large immigration raids on first day back in power
Donald Trump is planning to unleash huge immigration raids across major US cities as soon as he becomes the President again.
The first raids are expected to start on Tuesday morning, a day after President-elect Trump’s inauguration in Washington DC.
Sources with knowledge of the operation revealed to the Wall Street Journal that the raids are set to last all week.
Chicago, one of the sanctuary cities where people are not asked about their immigration status, is expected to be an early target. Up to 200 immigration enforcement officers are being sent there for the operation, the outlet reports.
New York City is thought to be on the list too, another major city where migrants and immigrants are protected as local authorities do not disclose their details to the government.
The plan for the immigration sweep comes after Trump vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation of undocumented people in the country’s history, sparking anxiety among communities and rights groups.
Previously, several US colleges and universities told international students to return to campus before Trump is sworn in on Monday due to concerns over travel bans.
In the US farming areas, immigrant farmworkers have reportedly made preparations for the Trump presidency.
Some have assigned guardians for their children in case they are detained, Reuters reports citing legal support groups.
The Trump administration is planning to target immigrants who are in the country illegally with criminal backgrounds, it is understood.
This includes minor offences like driving violations which were considered too minor by the Joe Biden administration to pursue, the sources told the WSJ.
Other sources said the operation is likely to target people with removal orders.
One immigration enforcement source told the New York Post that other arrests have been paused already, claiming that officers ‘arent arresting anyone and bringing them into custody, making room for what may happen next week.’
Other key cities like Los Angeles, Denver and Miami could also see similar raids.
Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming border boss, vowed to ‘start’ the operation in Chicago during a visit last month, saying that ‘if the Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside’ and threatening to prosecute him if he ‘impedes us, if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien.’
The Democrat Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, responded at the time: ‘I’m going to make sure to follow the law. I’m concerned that the Trump administration and his lackeys aren’t going to follow the law.’
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