Videos appearing to show Palm Springs ICE arrests leave community on edge
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - Online videos showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detaining people Friday morning in Palm Springs, is leaving some residents scared.
Immigrant rights group, 'IC4IJ,' or the Inland Coalition 4 Immigration Justice, posted several videos of officers in 'ICE' vests taking people into custody. They now say 30 operations have taken place this week, with 6 people detained.
According to the 'IC4IJ' group, heavy enforcement was detected in the Santiago Sunrise Village Mobile Home Park, Dream Homes neighborhood and surrounding areas between 5-6 a.m.
Congressman Raul Ruiz has also come out to condemn the videos, claiming they are depicting ICE activity in the Valley and calling for an investigation.
"I'm calling for an investigation through the Judicial and the Department of Homeland Security Committee to investigate the excessive use of force, the illegal use of racial profiling, as well as the denial of American citizens and legal residences' ID's for individuals and our communities," Ruiz said.
It comes just days after a Palm Springs press conference condemning the violence and providing resources. For some, those promises fall flat.
News Channel 3 asked the Congressman how much sway local leaders have in the matter.
"There's very little that people can do, or elected officials can do, other than the ICE directors, Steven Miller, President Trump, etc. What we can do as a community is to bring pressure, against the brutality and the violence that exists, through public sentiment. As a congressman, I am voting not to fund these agencies," he said.
Still, those at the Santiago Sunrise Village park say it isn't a matter of if ICE comes back, but when.
"They're going to come back for sure. We'll all stand together and do as much as we can to keep them from taking more hard working people that call this place home."
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement:
"This morning, Los Angeles ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Officers carried out targeted operations against criminal illegal aliens in the Palm Springs area to enforce immigration laws passed by the peoples’ representatives in Congress.
Under Secretary Mullin, DHS is laser focused on its mission of making America safe again. DHS continues to arrest the worst of the worst, deliver the most secure border in American history, and stop drugs from pouring into our communities.
Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the America safe again. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. More than 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country and counting. Our message is clear: if you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you. ICE is NOT slowing down.
We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."
