As the United States federal government intensifies arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal records nationwide, various related news is circulating, causing anxiety in communities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarified that there are many “fake news” circulating online aimed at “defaming” and “demonizing” law enforcement officers, creating panic.
Recently, violent protests against immigration and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Los Angeles have become a focal point of attention, highlighting the discord and tense relationship between federal and local governments on immigration policy implementation.
The City Controller of Los Angeles announced on Monday (16th) that the recent violent protests in downtown Los Angeles have cost the city nearly $20 million to date.
The Department of Homeland Security also released a statement on Monday stating that law enforcement officers are working to remove illegal criminal elements from the streets of Los Angeles. However, due to media reports “demonizing” ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), public attacks on ICE law enforcement officers have increased by over 400%.
The statement read, “Here are some fake news headlines about the recent actions of the Department of Homeland Security in Los Angeles, these headlines aim to demonize the federal law enforcement agencies. To clarify the facts, our department’s response to these false accusations is as follows,” followed by four examples.
One news report headline highlighted the theme of “Border Patrol patrols, detains American citizens, exacerbating concerns about racial discrimination.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, responded, “The goal of the Department of Homeland Security has nothing to do with the individual’s skin color. An individual becomes a target because they reside illegally in the United States.”
A video circulating on social media shows Border Patrol agents arresting a man, with the poster indicating that the man is an American citizen, not an illegal immigrant. This video has sparked panic among many individuals.
McLaughlin stated in the declaration, “The fact is, this American citizen was arrested for assaulting CBP agents. Secretary Kristi Noem has made it clear: if you lay a hand on law enforcement officers, you will be held accountable under the law.”
Last week, the media reported that Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles made statements at a press conference about “ICE entering emergency rooms and homeless shelters.” Upon hearing this news, many people expressed fear of going to hospitals.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security clarified in a statement, “This is completely false. ICE is not present in homeless shelters, emergency rooms, and schools at all. Such statements by the mayor of Los Angeles and California politicians demonize the brave law enforcement officers.”
A post circulating on social media claimed that ICE is conducting sweeps in Los Angeles parks, arresting nannies and caregivers. The post also mentioned that ICE forcibly separates nannies from children, leaving the children at the back of a truck until their parents come to claim them.
Regarding this news, McLaughlin clarified in the statement, “The claim that ICE is conducting operations in Douglas Park, targeting and arresting nannies and caregivers, is entirely false.”
“These lies are meant to demonize ICE law enforcement officers who risk their lives to expel criminal immigrants (including terrorist suspects, gang members, murderers, and rapists) from our communities. The fact is, ICE and our federal partners are targeting the worst criminals,” she said.
ICE has previously stated that among those arrested are a large number of gang members, drug traffickers, domestic abusers, robbers, and human traffickers, among other illegal immigrant criminals.
However, ICE’s recent raids on makeshift labor gathering points have indeed caused panic among immigrant temporary workers. At the same time, ICE has resumed raids on illegal immigrants in farms, restaurants, and hotels.
Facing anti-ICE movements in places like Los Angeles, President Trump issued a statement on Sunday night (15th), directing ICE to expand expulsion operations in Democratic-run cities. He specifically mentioned Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York as primary law enforcement targets, calling these cities “home to millions of illegal immigrants.”