Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids may sweep up “innocent citizens.”
“If you’re not out looking for criminals based on crimes committed, but undocumented immigrants based on their looks, you’re going to sweep up a lot of innocent people, including innocent citizens,” stated the Maryland Democrat, in accordance with an announcement obtained by NBC Information.
“We’ve already seen cases of racial and ethnic profiling leading to the unlawful detention of U.S. citizens. That’s why I’m demanding answers about some of these profoundly troubling stories we’ve heard about citizens being targeted, detained and questioned,” he added.
Raskin and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) additionally sought solutions from performing ICE Director Caleb Vitello and Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on “troubling reports that U.S. citizens have been detained during immigration enforcement operations” in a Tuesday letter, of which NBC Information obtained a duplicate first.
“A recent NBC News article highlighted multiple incidents in which American citizens were wrongfully detained during immigration enforcement raids,” the 2 progressive Democrats wrote. “Moreover, Telemundo Puerto Rico not too long ago reported on three U.S. residents in Milwaukee—a toddler, his mom, and grandmother—who have been detained and transported to an immigration detention heart.
ICE has denied the Milwaukee incident, claiming it was “completely false,” in accordance with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“These reports raise serious questions about the actions of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel when conducting immigration enforcement,” Raskin and Jayapal stated.
The Hill has reached out to DHS and ICE for remark.
