With the new Executive Order 14148 from the Trump administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) no longer has to follow the previous guidelines that had once limited the access enforcement had to protected areas.
“In an ICE raid, the agency’s objective is to detain undocumented employees working for employers in the United States. ICE raids are generally targeted, meaning ICE agents may have a list of names of individuals they are looking to detain,” attorney Jungmin Choi said.
Previously, ICE was not able to enter places such as schools, hospitals, churches and other social service establishments, which is now allowed.
For many living in the United States, escaping threats in their home countries, seeking freedom and education or hoping to achieve the ‘American dream’ without proper identification and documentation, this can mean fear and danger.
The current atmosphere in the country is heavily influenced by the wrong idea that all immigrants are dangerous criminals, an idea that continues to be campaigned by the administration.
According to CNN senior writer Catherine E. Shoichet, the Trump administration views all immigrants, documented or not, despite many of their clean records, to be criminals.
“Past administrations have also claimed they would focus enforcement on criminals. But a key issue to watch is how the term ‘criminal’ is defined. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said this week that the administration sees all undocumented immigrants as criminals,” Shoichet said.
In truth, most immigrants entering the United States are people seeking refuge from the dangers they have faced in their home countries.
According to former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, immigrants come to America mainly for better living conditions, and are not threats.
“Immigrants enter the United States with dreams of a better life for themselves and their families. Rather than posing a threat to our democracy, they reinforce and enrich the values that make America the country it is,” Gutierrez said.
