The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a new raid that surprised many hispanic families in various neighborhoods in the greater Atlanta area.
Federal agents arrived on Saturday morning at at least five residential complexes located along Buford Highway in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
Officials were searching for certain individuals, but ended up taking anyone they could, a practice that has become commonplace since Donald Trump became the country’s president.
ICE is Targeting Anyone and Everyone
Local news media were alerted by a reliable source that its base of operations was in the back parking of a Rooms To Go store, located in the access that connects the Dawson Blvd. with the Jimmy Carter Blvd., in Norcross.
A team of this medium went to the scene and confirmed that there were two vans from the Irwin Detention Center, where ICE imprisons the undocumented.
But officials on board detected our presence and left the place in a hurry to avoid being videotaped. Each vehicle took different directions.
However, they documented the arrest of several people and talk to their families.
“My uncle went to work and did not realize that Immigration was outside in his cars. They approached him and asked him to open the door”
said an affected woman.
“When they came in with him, they asked about my husband, who had a DUI and who was still in his bed asleep, woke him up and arrested him.”
According to the woman, who preferred not to give her name for fear of reprisals, ICE agents also handcuffed her uncle.
“I asked them why they were taking him and they told me that because it was illegal. ‘Well, I’m illegal too, take me,’ I told them, but they ignored me, because they saw my three children crying”
said the mother.
From this “nasty” encounter that occurred at the Parke Towne Apartments in Brookhaven, there is a video, as a neighbor of the family recorded with their cell phone while hiding in their room.
“Or not … but why do they take them both? God, no … “, said the woman while recording. His nerves were noticeable, even the phone trembled.
A young mother who identified only as Ana and lives in the Royal apartments, just a couple of miles from the Parke Towne, also experienced moments of terror after being visited by ICE.
“They started from early to knock hard the door and they woke us all up. We went to see and were the agents of ICE, so I better lock myself in the room with my children”
said the Honduran, who has an open case with the immigration court.
“I do not understand why they came, if I have been complying with everything,”
said Ana while showing the electronic bracelet that authorities have monitored since last year when they entered the country illegally.
Experiences similar to these were experienced by at least 20 other families in cities such as Doraville, Chamblee, Columbus and Valdosta, among others.
Local news companies consulted with ICE to know what this simultaneous operation was due to in multiple locations and to confirm the total number of immigrants who were arrested.
However, the agency only confirmed that they were its agents, but until the close of this edition had not revealed the number of detainees, although this average accounted for more than a dozen.
ICE Can Arrest and Detain Any Immigrant on Sight?
A local Atlanta news medium inquired with ICE about this multiple operation. Agency spokesman Bryan D. Cox sent this statement:
“These arrests are in line with the routine operations of our unit that focuses on arresting individuals for their subsequent deportation,”
Cox told the media.
“ICE will continue to focus on those individuals who pose a threat to citizenship. However, as Secretary (of National Security) (John) Kelly has made it clear, ICE will no longer make exceptions. If we find someone who is violating immigration law, he will be detained and if he deserves it, he will also be deported, “
added the official.