New Immigration Raids Target US Citizens, Raising Racial Profiling Concerns


New Immigration Raids Target US Citizens, Raising Racial Profiling Concerns

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – American citizens, including members of Native tribal nations, have been caught up in sweeping immigration raids ordered by US President Donald Trump, fulfilling his campaign promise to carry out mass deportations.

According to witnesses, individuals are being stopped and questioned by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers based on their race or skin color.

The Navajo Nation Office reported receiving an influx of calls from tribal members living off-reservation who said they had been questioned about their identity by ICE agents, Native News Online reported.

Concerns over such encounters prompted Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren to address the issue on KTNN, a tribal radio station. He noted accounts of “negative and sometimes traumatizing” interactions between ICE officers and Navajo Nation citizens.

Nygren advised members to carry identification, driver’s licenses, and their Certificate of Indian Blood to avoid complications.

NBC News sought comment from ICE regarding the detention and questioning of Navajo citizens and allegations of racial profiling but has yet to receive a response.

One of those detained in an immigration raid at a seafood wholesaler in Newark, New Jersey, was a US citizen and military veteran.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka criticized the operation, stating that the veteran “suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”

In response to the incident, ICE said its agents “may encounter US citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity.”

Luis Janota, the owner of the seafood wholesaler, told WPIX New York that his warehouse manager, who was also detained, was Puerto Rican—a US citizen by birth.

“It looked to me like they were specifically going after certain kinds of people — not every kind," Janota said. "Because they did not ask me for documentation for my American workers, Portuguese workers, or white workers.”

Since taking office, Trump has ramped up ICE operations, stating he would prioritize the deportation of violent criminals. However, his "border czar," Tom Homan, acknowledged that arrests of undocumented immigrants without criminal records—labeled as collateral arrests—would also take place.

On Sunday, nearly half of those detained, 48%, had either nonviolent offenses or no criminal record.

While being in the US without legal status is a civil violation, entering the country illegally is a misdemeanor, and re-entering without permission is a felony.

Trump is expected to sign the Laken Riley Act, which would broaden ICE's authority to arrest and detain noncitizens charged—though not necessarily convicted—of burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, or crimes that result in death or serious injury.

“When you don’t have enforcement priorities, everyone is subject to detention,” said Rosanna Eugenio, legal director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

“This also creates conditions for increased profiling," she added. "You can’t tell someone’s legal status just by looking at them, but immigrant communities and communities of color will be disproportionately targeted.”

The administration has enlisted multiple federal agencies to assist in arrests, and several states and cities have signaled their willingness to cooperate.

Some arrests have occurred in jurisdictions where officials support the effort, while others have taken place in cities that have pledged not to aid Trump’s immigration policies.

On Tuesday, several law enforcement agencies conducted operations in New York City, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the Drug Enforcement Administration showcasing arrests on social media.

Despite the administration's efforts, large-scale deportations could face funding challenges.

Homan has said that additional resources from Congress will be required, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently remarked, “We don’t have the resources” for Trump’s deportation plans.

As enforcement expands, immigration advocates are working to educate immigrants on their legal rights.

“Our best defense in this moment is people knowing their rights. Stay calm, don’t lie. Remain silent. Don’t consent to the search,” said Murad Awadeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

“Do not open the door without a judicial warrant, as well as making sure that it’s signed by a judge,” he advised.

During his campaign, Trump referenced "Operation Wetback," a 1950s deportation program under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which US citizens of Mexican descent were also expelled. Trump has stated his deportations will be even more extensive.

From October 2015 to March 2020, ICE arrested 674 individuals who were potential US citizens, detained 121, and deported 70, according to a 2021 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

The GAO also found that ICE had issued detainers—requests for local authorities to hold suspected undocumented immigrants—for at least 895 potential US citizens during that period, later canceling about 74% of those requests.

The report noted that ICE’s procedures for handling US citizens were inconsistent and that the agency lacked a reliable system for tracking encounters with American citizens.

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