Tom Homan, Trump’s so-called “border czar,” has expressed outrage after an alleged leak of an immigration raid in a Denver suburb. Heavily armed SWAT teams stormed apartment complexes in Aurora and Denver, some with an embedded Fox News crew, going door to door, resulting in 30 arrests and only one gang member confirmed to be in custody, prompting protests outside the Colorado state capitol. The leaks continue, as the LA Times reports raids coming to Los Angeles and others reporting the same for New York City. The Washington Post reported on the removal of two top ICE officials as Trump attempts to keep his pledge.
According to an anonymous federal law enforcement source of the Independent, ICE was working with agencies such as the FBI and DEA to carry out the immigration operations, citing the need for “more bodies.” CBS News reported on video footage of an ICE raid at a South Florida job site, resulting in one arrest. Another surveillance video showed restaurant workers in Tennessee being hauled away by four masked men in plainclothes, without badges or identification, in what was later confirmed by city officials to have been an ICE raid. Prosecutors in at least three states have charged people with impersonating immigration law enforcement officers in recent weeks.
There appear to be fewer news organizations reporting on these raids consistently as Trump and his loyalists upend precedent across the spectrum of government, expanding the breadth of issues that demand coverage. There has also been a reappearance of perhaps Trump’s favored tactic to weaponize against the press: reprisals for unfavorable reporting. The Associated Press was barred from the White House as “punishment” for using the name Gulf of Mexico in reporting, as opposed to the unilaterally imposed name “Gulf of America.” Recently CNN news anchor and former White House Correspondent Jim Acosta resigned live on air in protest against the network’s move to a less visible time slot in what was rumored to be an intended appeasement of Trump.
Be very careful!
Beware of notaries, immigration consultants or anyone who is not qualified and prepared in these matters. Always seek the advice and services of an immigration attorney for your immigration processes and procedures.