[ Photo: REUTERS]
A lot has happened in the 9 days since President Trump took office. President Trump has made deporting undocumented immigrants a top priority, expanding ICE’s power to arrest and remove people more aggressively, even in places that were off limits. ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a U.S. government agency that finds and removes people who don’t have legal permission to be in the country. They check if someone is following immigration laws, and if not, they can arrest and deport them.
Under new orders from President Trump, ICE is now more aggressive in detaining and deporting people. Before, there were rules that stopped them from going into places like schools, hospitals, and churches, but now they can arrest people in those places too. This makes a lot of immigrants scared to go to the doctor, send their kids to school, or even go to church.
Another big change is that Trump is punishing cities that don’t help ICE with deportations. Some cities, called “sanctuary cities,” some “sanctuary cities” are Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City. They have rules that protect immigrants from being easily turned over to ICE. Now, Trump is trying to take away government money from those cities and even charge local officials with crimes if they refuse to cooperate.
At the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump also made it harder for people seeking safety in the U.S. He brought back a rule that forces asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while waiting for their cases to be heard, even if they are fleeing danger. He also shut down the CBP one app, an app that immigrants used to schedule legal entry appointments, leaving many stuck at the border with no way to come in. These new rules mean more people are being arrested, families are being separated, and it’s harder for immigrants to feel safe or get help when they need it.’
ICE has begun to carry out raids across Texas, including Houston and Galveston, they are receiving help from federal and local law enforcement. Gov. Greg Abbott announced that 400 additional soldiers from Houston and Ft. Worth are headed to the U.S. Mexico border. There have been ICE raids reported in almost every major Texas city, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Galveston. An anonymous source told FOX 26 News that two employees were arrested at a restaurant after an ICE raid; the employees were shackled and handcuffed. ICE has not confirmed this raid. However, ICE has said they are going after people with active warrants, those violent and a threat to the community.
