Boston – The head of immigration and customs control of the United States defended on Monday his tactics against criticism that the authorities are being too heavy by increasing arrests towards the promises of President Donald Trump of mass deportations.
The mayor of San Diego, Todd Gloria, said he was “deeply upset” for an ice operation in a popular Italian restaurant just before dinner on Friday. A chaotic confrontation developed outside while the clients and witnesses shouted, the smoke filled the air, and the agents carried a heavy tactical team to face an angry crowd.
Todd Lyons, interim director of ICE, was excited when he was asked to explain why officials use masks. He said some have received death threats and have been harassed online.
“I regret if people are offended with masks, but I will not let my officers and agents come out and put their lives at stake, their family on the line because people do not like what the application of immigration is,” he said at a press conference in Boston to announce almost 1,500 arrests in the region as part of a “over -over -a -monthly operation.”
Lyons left the room when a journalist asked him about the masks. He returned to the podium.
“Is that the problem here we are upset by masks?” asked. “Or is anyone upset about the fact that the families of ICE officers were labeled by terrorists?”
Lyons could have referred to the comments of the councilor of San Diego Sean Elo-Rivera, who called the ICE officers “terrorists” after the Friday restaurants’ raid. “This is not security. It is terrorism sponsored by the State,” Elo-Rivera wrote on Instagram.
The National Security Department published the Elo-Rivera message, saying that comparing the ice with the terrorists was “disgusting.” The councilor stayed with his comments on Monday.
Other elected officials, such as Gloria and the American representative Scott Peters of San Diego, both Democrats, were more silenced but also very critical of the ice and the Republican White House.
“Federal actions such as these are announced as a public security measure, but had the complete opposite effect. What we saw undermined trust and creates fear in our community,” Gloria said.
ICE said Monday that the operation in Buona Forchetta, a host of the modern neighborhood of San Diego South Park, resulted in four people in the United States illegally. The authorities executed criminal raid orders for illegal hiring and made false statements when the crowd “became rebellious,” which led them to use Flash-Bang devices.
“When meetings like these are formed, not only puts the police in danger, but also the protesters/spectators who try to prevent the activity of the application of the law,” ICE said in a statement.
The owners said they were closing their restaurants in southern California for two days.
“We want to be able to find stronger words, but the truth is that we are disconsolate,” said the owners in a statement. “The traumatic incident that involves a federal application operation in our original and beloved location of the South Park Park has left us a brand in all. A wound that is still raw, still resonates in our kitchens, our dining rooms and our hearts.”
Lyons said in a Fox interview AND The friends on Sunday that ICE averaged around 1,600 arrests per day, a strong increase in the previous data that showed 78,155 arrests between January 20 and May 19, a daily average of 656. He said that ICE can and will do more.
Stephen Miller, the key architect of Trump’s immigration policy, last week established a goal of 3,000 arrests per day and said the number could rise. That rhythm would be a great challenge with current financing. The ice housed an average of more than 46,000 detainees during the first half of May, already above its budgeted capacity.
Lyons said operations such as the increase in Massachusetts would not be necessary if “the sanctuary cities would change their policy.” There is no legal definition for Sanctuary City PoliciesBut they generally limit cooperation by the Local Police with federal immigration officers. Homeland Security published a list of more than 500 sanctuary jurisdictions but eliminated it from its website After the criticisms containing inaccuracies, even his allies.
Lyons was close to a post with mugs of unnamed immigrants. A complete list of those arrested was not available, nor information about the specific crimes of people is accused of committing.
Lyons called them “dangerous criminals” who are “terrifying family, friends and our neighbors.”
The state, local and federal authorities participated in a raid on Saturday in a southern Carolina nightclub that the authorities said it was popular among drug traffickers, which resulted in the arrests of 66 people who were in the country illegally. Cardell Morant, a special agent in charge of national security investigations in South Carolina and North Carolina, said the 3 am operations arrived during a “party after the poster.”
The authorities did not publish additional details about the positions facing those arrested during the raid in Charleston County.
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Rebecca Santana in Washington, Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed.
