Story highlights Aguilar accuses Democrats of spreading fear over immigration

He says the majority of people detained have criminal records

(CNN) The president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles on Monday slammed Democrats for "using immigration for political purposes."

Speaking to CNN's John Berman and Poppy Harlow, Alfonso Aguilar defended the recent ICE raids and immigration-related arrests, claiming they are the "same type of raids ... conducted under the Obama administration."

"The evidence we have so far is that the majority of the people detained were people with serious criminal records," he added.

Aguilar said he was "baffled by the left ... trying to say that this is the beginning of some sort of massive deportation." He said Democrats were politicizing the issue.

"I think the fear is being exacerbated by the left and Democrats who are using this issue for political gain, basically spreading false rumor that there are checkpoints, that they're going house to house. That's all a lie."

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