Why Should Delaware Care?
President Donald Trump in recent weeks has pledged to increase the number of arrests and deportations conducted by immigrations officials. The first of those operations appears to have occurred in Delaware following days or rumors.
Federal immigration officials conducted what local police are calling a “fugitive apprehension operation” in Georgetown Tuesday, following weeks of fear among immigrant communities that a nationwide crackdown would come to Delaware.
The move is the first such action that has been confirmed by police in Delaware since President Donald Trump promised that widespread immigration raids would occur after being sworn in last month.
The operation, conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, also follows days of widespread but largely unfounded rumors that similar actions could occur at locations in the state, such as schools, grocery stores and a health center.
The Georgetown Police Department alerted the community to the action in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon that stated that it happened that morning within town limits.
“Due to the nature of the operation, we are unable to provide specific details related to this federal investigation,” according to a Georgetown Police Department Facebook post.
During a subsequent interview with Spotlight Delaware, Georgetown Police Department Lt. Joel Diaz said the operation took place at a residence and was not carried out at a school, church, hospital or other “sensitive area.”
The Trump administration recently scrapped guidance that limited immigration enforcement from occurring in “sensitive spaces,” including schools, churches and hospitals — reversing a 2011 ICE policy.
“(ICE) came in with their target in mind and that was pretty much it,” Diaz said. “They conduct their operation, and they swiftly exit.”
When asked, Diaz declined to say how many people were arrested as part of the federal operation.
In its statement, Georgetown police also said ICE notified local officers of the operation, but the department was not involved and didn’t receive any requests for assistance from the federal agency. ICE will typically notify local law enforcement if they’re carrying out an operation in local jurisdictions in order to avoid any conflicts or issues.
A spokesman for ICE’s operations in the mid-Atlantic region did not immediately answer questions about the operation.
The enforcement operation comes a day after dozens of Delaware businesses shuttered their doors and numerous families withheld their children from school to protest the nationwide immigration crackdown. The protest, “A Day Without Immigrants,” called for immigrants to refrain from working, shopping and attending school.
Protests occurred nationwide, with thousands of protesters marching and shutting down the highway in Los Angeles.
Fear has gripped immigrant communities statewide, prompting people to stay home and refrain from grocery shopping. A few local markets have even begun offering delivery services due to public fear and decreasing sales.
The federal operation in Delaware comes a week after Georgetown police took to Facebook to calm community concerns about ICE operating within the town – which is home to a large immigrant community, many from Central America.
Police were not aware of ICE operating within town limits and had not received any communication from the agency at the time, according to the January 28 Facebook post.
“Obviously, this information could change at any given moment, and I cannot and will not speculate or give an opinion about when or if ICE/ERO may come,” Georgetown Police Department Chief Ralph Holm Jr. said in the written post.
Holm Jr. then underscored that neither the department nor any officers had independent jurisdiction over immigration issues.
When reached for comment about the operation, Georgetown Mayor Bill West referred all comments to come from the police department.
The post Local police: ICE conducts ‘fugitive enforcement’ in Georgetown appeared first on Spotlight Delaware.