The powerful federal agency behind the lockup of an immigrant pizza deliveryman has gone on such a spree of arrests under President Trump, it’s created a backlog in the system, court records show.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement was born in the post-9/11 climate and has emerged under the Trump administration as a threat to undocumented immigrants regardless of their family ties or solid citizenship.
The Immigrant Defense Project documented at least 144 cases in New York state last year where ICE arrested immigrants both undocumented and those with legal status (green card holders, individuals with visas, etc.) in and around New York City courthouses. The IDP found 28% of the undocumented immigrants were targeted despite the absence of any previous criminal history.