Immigration authorities to escalate raids to hunt undocumented immigrants from mid-September

Reportedly, thousands of immigrants will be deported after massive raids on undocumented immigrants across the country.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to conduct raids to target immigrants across America later this month. The raids, called ‘Operation Mega,’ will target all people “prioritized in the president’s January 25 Executive Order,” Detention Watch Network (DWN) said in a media statement. reported.

Criticizing the agency’s plan, DWN said, “Detention Watch Network (DWN), the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), National Immigration Law Center, United We Dream (UWD) and the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plan to conduct a nationwide immigration enforcement operation from mid- to late-September.”

Elaborating on the extent of the raids, it said, “These raids are intended to be historic in size, targeting between 6,000 and 10,000 immigrants.”

The organization said the planned raids are part of Trump administration’s aim to implement anti-immigrant policies.

“Operation Mega is a cynical attempt by ICE to manipulate the congressional appropriations process. It is no coincidence that this operation is planned for the last weeks of the government’s fiscal year. ICE is intentionally elevating detention numbers before the new fiscal year to claim an ‘operational need’ for more funding and more detention beds,”  said Silky Shah, executive director of Detention Watch Network.

Shah said that even some members of the Congress, who have otherwise condemned ICE attacks against immigrants, have actually voted in favor to fund ICE for these attacks.

“With Operation Mega, ICE has once again shown its hand. ICE’s ‘need’ for additional funding is politically manufactured and neither Congress nor taxpayers should reward such cruel and cynical behavior,” she added.

Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director, National Immigrant Justice Center, suggested that if an individual encounters immigration officers he should exercise his rights.

“All people have the right to remain silent. If stopped or arrested, you do not have to answer an immigration agent’s questions,” McCarthy said. “If an immigration agent knocks on your door and does not have a warrant, do not open the door.”