Raids are likely to occur in 10 major cities and would target at least 2,000 immigrants who have been ordered deported

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

US immigration officials have said immigration raids targeting thousands of families will take place in major cities across the United States starting on Sunday – less than a month after delaying a similar operation.

Such a move could see parents separated from US citizen children, more detained families and has already sparked a legal challenge.

Department of Homeland Security officials from the Trump administration, speaking anonymously, told newspapers that details of the raids had not been finalized, but would probably begin on Sunday in at least 10 major cities.

The raids would target at least 2,000 immigrants who have been ordered deported and crossed the border recently, though other undocumented people could also be arrested if the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency intercepts them, according to the New York Times.

The operation was first announced by Donald Trump on Twitter last month – prompting immigrant advocates to increase education for migrants on their rights, including that they don’t have to open their door to Ice agents without a court warrant.

Among the myriad concerns raised by advocates is that some people ordered deported may never have received notices to appear in court. Trump often accuses migrants of deliberately ignoring notices, but in the past year, attorneys have complained that documents were sent to incorrect addresses or listed incorrect hearing dates and times, including midnight, when court is not in session, and 31 November, which doesn’t exist.

The US government could therefore arrest migrants who didn’t know they were due in court, which would allow the arrested to reopen their cases, if they found an attorney.

Matthew Bourke, an Ice spokesman, told the Guardian the agency could not provide specific details related to enforcement operations, to protect the safety and security of agents. “All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and – if found removable by final order – removal from the United States,” Bourke said.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a pre-emptive lawsuit on Thursday arguing that targeted families should be allowed a day in court, in part because of the immigration enforcement agencies’ documented bureaucratic errors.

The New York ACLU and ACLU of Southern California filed the 44-page lawsuit on behalf of four not-for-profits.

“The Trump administration’s threats against immigrants run roughshod over basic fairness and due process,” Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. “For the many families who came here as refugees fleeing violence, deportation is a death threat.”

Activists on Thursday ramped up efforts to prepare by bolstering know-your-rights pocket guides, circulating information about hotlines and planning public demonstrations. Vigils outside of detention centers and hundreds of other locations nationwide were set for Friday evening, to be followed by protests Saturday in Miami and Chicago.

Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, said in a statement his government was reaching out to immigrant communities, highlighting legal aid and other resources.

Hillary Clinton criticized the plan on Thursday, when news of the raids emerged alongside reports that the president may try to force the US census process to include a question asking people if they are citizens.

Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) The Trump administration is preparing sweeping raids on undocumented people as the president threatens to go against the Supreme Court and demand citizenship information through the Census.



Weaponized fear and bigotry are the central projects of this administration.

Trump’s own immigration agencies were reportedly blindsided by the president’s stunning decision in late June to tweet about a law enforcement operation before it occurred. Five days later, he announced the raids would be delayed.

The Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration policies have not yet resulted in the level of deportations seen under Barack Obama. In the last fiscal year, Ice removed 250,000 undocumented migrants, compared with 410,000 removed in 2012.

Trump, however, has done away with deportation priorities Obama put in place in his second term, and used anti-migrant rhetoric, which has created fear and instability in migrant communities.

Douglas Rivlin, the communications director of the advocacy group America’s Voice, said the raids were politically motivated and cruel. “The massive and glaring failure of the Trump approach on immigration gives this deportation operation the smell of desperation,” he said.