Trump's Shift: ICE Raids Halted in Key Industries Amid Protests
Significant Policy Change by the Trump Administration
Washington: President Donald Trump has directed officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cease raids and arrests within the agricultural sector, hotels, and restaurants, marking a notable shift in the mass deportation strategy, as reported by a media outlet.
The New York Times highlighted that this decision was influenced by the negative impact of the deportation campaign on industries and voter bases that Trump aims to retain, which is crucial to his administration's agenda.
An email from Tatum King, a senior ICE official, was sent to regional ICE leaders on Thursday, outlining this new directive.
The email stated, "Effective today, please suspend all work site enforcement actions in agriculture (including aquaculture and meat processing), restaurants, and hotels."
However, it clarified that ongoing investigations related to "human trafficking, money laundering, and drug smuggling" within these sectors would continue.
Additionally, agents were instructed not to detain individuals categorized as "noncriminal collaterals," referring to undocumented persons without criminal records.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed these changes.
"We will adhere to the President's instructions and focus on removing the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American streets," stated Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the department.
This directive follows a series of ICE raids in Southern California that ignited widespread protests.
Earlier this week, a demonstration against immigration enforcement in Santa Ana, located 50 km east of downtown Los Angeles, led to injuries and arrests as protesters clashed with federal and local law enforcement.
The protests were sparked by ICE operations targeting day laborers in Santa Ana, a city with a population exceeding 300,000.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento informed the Orange County Register that immigration officials seemed to focus on laborers seeking work.
Around 200 demonstrators gathered outside a federal building in downtown Santa Ana, which houses ICE and other federal offices, to voice their opposition to the raids.
The situation escalated when law enforcement reportedly fired at the crowd.
In response to the protests, California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the President ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles without state consent.
Since Saturday, nearly 400 individuals have been arrested or detained during immigration protests, according to media reports.
This includes 330 undocumented migrants and 157 individuals arrested for assault and obstruction, as reported by Xinhua news agency citing BBC News.
On the first night of the curfew in the second-largest U.S. city, the Los Angeles Police Department reported 203 arrests for failure to disperse and 17 for curfew violations.