A day after being sworn in, the new US President, Donald Trump, is seeking to initiate the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants for whom he has warned of mass arrests. The raids will take place across the country starting Tuesday, Border Protection Officer Tom Homan announced on Fox News on Friday. Meanwhile, US Border Patrol officials conducted security drills with barbed wire and concrete blocks on the border with Mexico, writes A2 CNN.
Homan, a hard-line figure and former head of the border protection agency ICE, spoke on Fox News about media reports that a raid would take place in Chicago on Tuesday. Chicago is just "one of many places," the 62-year-old said. No one will be spared. "If they're in the country illegally, they have a problem."
According to the Washington Post, the Chicago raid will last a week and up to 200 ICE officers will be on standby. The Midwest metropolis has granted itself "sanctuary city" status to prevent deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Chicago police spokesman Don Terry said local police would not oppose federal law enforcement officials. However, the city will not share any information with federal immigration authorities. In addition to Chicago, other Democratic-run cities have declared themselves sanctuary cities. Authorities estimate that about 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States. Trump's deportation plans could directly impact about 20 million families.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office in El Paso, the drills have been going on since 2019. They are intended to prepare officers for potential incidents at the border. Residents of Ciudad Juárez reported that the drills had multiplied before Trump took office. Trump has repeatedly described the influx of migrants into the United States as an “invasion” and has denounced migrants as criminals.
An anti-Trump demonstration is planned for Washington on Saturday. Eight years ago, hundreds of thousands attended a similar demonstration. This time, authorities expected only up to 25,000 people. Thousands of Trump supporters are expected to attend a rally in the US capital on Sunday. Several smaller protests against Trump are planned for the inauguration day itself.
(A2 Televizion)
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