A nationwide immigration enforcement operation targeting people who are in the United States illegally is expected to begin this weekend after it was postponed last month by President Donald Trump, according to two administration officials and immigrant activists.
The operation, which is sparking outrage and concern among immigrant advocates, would target people with final orders of removal, including families whose immigration cases had been fast-tracked by judges in 10 major cities.
The sweep remains in flux and possibly could begin later, according to the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Activists are circulating information about hotlines for immigrants to call and bolstering know-your-rights training.
It’s unclear if the operation includes Oakland, but Mayor Libby Schaaf said she wanted to “assure members of our community not to panic but to be prepared, know your rights and responsibilities.”
“We are a proud sanctuary city here in Oakland and we know our rights and values,” she said in a statement.
The operation is similar to ones conducted regularly since 2003 that often produce hundreds of arrests. It is slightly unusual to target families, as opposed to immigrants with criminal histories, but not unprecedented. The Obama and Trump administrations have targeted families in previous operations.
But this one is notable really because of the politics swirling around it.
Trump announced on Twitter last month that the sweep would mark the beginning of an effort to deport millions of people who are in the country illegally, a near-impossibility given the limited resources of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which makes the arrests and carries out deportation orders.
Then he abruptly canceled it after a phone call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while lawmakers worked to pass a $4.6 billion border aid package . Plus, details had leaked and authorities worried about the safety of ICE officers, railing against suspected leakers.
The agency said in a statement that it would not discuss specifics about enforcement operations.
“As always, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of unlawfully present aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security,” according to the statement.
Trump started hinting anew in recent days that more removals were coming. He said last weekend they would be starting “fairly soon.”
“Well, I don’t call them raids,” he said. “I say they came in illegally and we’re bringing them out legally.”
Ken Cuccinelli, the new head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, told CNN on Wednesday that the raids were “absolutely going to happen.”
Pelosi said she hoped the administration would think again about the operation. “Families belong together,” she said.