Department of Homeland Security issued official statement about the pause in operations.
QUICK FACTS:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a statement saying that their operations in Uvalde, Texas have been temporarily suspended.
- According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, they have paused because of a standing policy that exempts determines where emergency response is required.
- ICE and CBP said they will not conduct any immigration enforcement but will provide emergency assistance to individuals “regardless of their immigration status.”
HOMELAND SECURITY’S REMINDER ABOUT ENFORCEMENT POLICY:
- “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remind the public that sites that provide emergency response and relief are considered protected areas. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities in protected areas such as along evacuation routes, sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, or registration sites for disaster-related assistance or the reunification of families and loved ones,” DHS said in their official statement.
- “ICE and CBP provide emergency assistance to individuals regardless of their immigration status. DHS officials do not and will not pose as individuals providing emergency-related information as part of any enforcement activities,” the statement went on to say.
- “The site of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas is a protected area. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP will not conduct immigration enforcement activities there so that individuals, regardless of immigration status, can seek assistance, reunify with family and loved ones, and otherwise address the tragedy that occurred.”
BACKGROUND:
- ICE’s statement came just days after the Uvalde elementary school shooting and followed a call by CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem demanding that the government declare Uvalde a “safe harbor” for illegal immigrants.
- Kayyem made the case that Uvalde’s reported 80%+ Hispanic population created a need for the federal government to suspend operations for immigration enforcement. This is something DHS appears to have been addressing when they noted that their statement was meant to “remind” the public about the already enacted policy.
