Immigration

DHS confirms ICE arrests in San Francisco

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Friday that arrests were made this week in San Francisco as part of immigration orders.

DHS did not specify how many arrests were made, but an immigrants advocacy group said at least 15 people, including a 3-year-old and other children, were taken into custody Wednesday and were marked for immediate deportation. Those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up to the agency's San Francisco field office for a scheduled check-in.

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"Those arrested had executable final orders of removal by an immigration judge and had not complied with that order. If you are in the country illegally and a judge has ordered you to be removed, that is precisely what will happen," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement sent to NBC Bay Area on Friday. "During the Biden administration, thousands of illegal aliens—including violent criminals—with final orders of removal were on ATD and allowed to roam our communities. This should never have been the case. Thanks to the leadership of Secretary Noem and President Trump, the proper policy is back in place. ICE’s ATD- Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) exists to ensure compliance with release conditions. All illegal aliens are afforded due process."

ICE has arrested people in recent weeks in San Jose, San Francisco and Concord.

Immigrant advocates on Thursday decried the detention of at least 15 people, including four children, in San Francisco the day before. As soon as immigration advocacy groups learned of the detainments, they organized a rally outside the ICE building. NBC Bay Area's Raj Mathai spoke with Telemundo 48 reporter Andres Brender to understand the details.

The agency also made the most immigrant arrests in a single day in its history Tuesday, detaining more than 2,200 people, NBC News reports citing a source familiar with the arrests and an ICE spokesperson who confirmed the numbers.

President Donald Trump has used the Alien Enemies Act to quickly deport some undocumented immigrants with limited or no due process.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in a statement said "It is stupid that ICE is now arresting families and children for obeying the law."

"The detained immigrants were diligently cooperating with law enforcement and complying with the law by reporting to their regularly scheduled check-in with ICE. These families were following their normal routine – and if the purpose of ICE is to ensure immigration laws and processes are enforced and followed, these arrests run counter to that mission and are inconsistent with it," Pelosi said. "The traumatic impact these detainments will have on these families – including a three-year-old child – who are being detained for obeying the law is outrageous and unforgivable. This menacing conduct will instill fear in immigrants who have scheduled future check-ins with ICE officials and their trepidation may deter them from pursuing lawful pathways. Clearly ICE does not place a value on our responsibility to the wellbeing of families."

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Bay City News contributed to this report.

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