Shooting at an ICE Detention Facility, Agents Unmasked in California: Here Is Your New Round Up for the Week
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues in the United States. There have been some alarming updates showing an escalation of force against immigrant communities. Keeping up with everything can be overwhelming so we are breaking down the stories this week that matter when it comes to our communities, neighbors, and families. Here is what you might have missed this week.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning law enforcement, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks
The American public has watched as masked people in tactical gear have raided and detained people indiscriminately in Los Angeles. The people rarely identify themselves raising questions and concerns that bad actors could be impersonating immigration agents. To combat this, the California legislature passed and Gov. Newsom signed a bill banning law enforcement from operating in the state while wearing masks. The new law also requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to identify themselves.
“To ICE, [which is] unmasked. What are you afraid of,” Gov. Newsom said at a press conference. “You’re gonna do enforcement? Provide an ID.”
The Department of Homeland Security reacted claiming that they refuse to comply. For agents who do wear masks, state law enforcement have the power to arrest them for breaking the law.
Read more about the new law here.
Hundreds of migrants held at Alligator Alcatraz are missing
More than 1,000 migrants are missing after Alligator Alcatraz was ordered closed by a judge. Of the 1,800 people held in the facility, the whereabouts of two-thirds of them is unknown. The federal government and the State of Florida are not coming forward with information about the migrants’ locations. Instead, family and legal representatives looking for their loved ones and clients are faced with a note about who to contact for more information.
“When searching for people detained there, the ICE locator now says, ‘Call the Florida Department of Corrections for details,’” Luis Sorto of Sanctuary of the South told El País.
For months, activists have warned that Alligator Alcatraz was a rushed job that puts the lives of migrants at risk. The speedy build left people living in horrible conditions, according to inspections. The federal government and the State of Florida attempted to bypass environmental regulations in what many have called a political stunt.
You can read more about the missing migrants here.
A shooting at an immigration detention center left detainees dead and injured
Tragedy struck at a Dallas ICE detention center when a sniper opened fire into the facility. The shooter killed one detainee and two are critically wounded. The motive of the shooting is unknown, as the shooter killed himself after opening fire on detainees. After the bungled investigation into Charlie Kirk’s gun-related death, FBI Director Kash Patel is facing scrutiny over what he claims to be evidence of motivation.
Dir. Patel shared a photo of bullets with “Anti-ICE” written on one of the bullets. The photo is stirring up its own ridicule as the FBI doesn’t share photos of evidence during active investigations. The photo of the bullets is against the standard protocol. Additionally, netizens are pointing out the specific wording, calling into question the director’s attempt to politicize the tragic gun violence.
Read more about the Dallas ICE facility shooting here.
ICE is using untraceable military flights for deportations
Recent reports show that ICE used nearly untraceable flights to carry out deportations to African nations. The use of the flights is facing pushback since the deportations were to war zones and countries where deportees face persecution.
“The administration is using military secrecy to cover for what is basically a law enforcement/immigration enforcement function,” activist flight tracker JJ in DC told Rolling Stone. “If this is being done in our interest, we have a right to know where these deportation flights are going.”
Read more about the military flights here.
