How the US Deports Undocumented Migrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed CNN journalists how they stalked their “targets” - meaning undocumented migrants – and arrested them before they were possibly deported to their home country.

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“This is what we do – we keep our eyes on somebody and try to be as covered as we can,” said Shawn Byers, supervisor of the ICE Fugitive Operations Team in Cook County, near Chicago.

Cook County is one of 300 existing “sanctuary jurisdictions” in the country where local governments have promoted laws banning cooperation between local officers and federal immigration agents without a court order in order to protect the rights of immigrants. According to CNN, local authorities cited a “liability concern,” saying ICE was deporting people for minor infractions.

However, ICE agents claimed the “sanctuary law,” passed in 2011, contributes in creating insecurity by releasing undocumented criminals back onto the streets.

In the CNN report, the migrants are arrested – at least one mistakenly – finger-printed, and interrogated by the agents, before facing their potential deportation trial.