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In Daniella Silva
Federal authorities arrested 170 immigrants who had protested to seek to sponsor migrant children in government custody, reported officials of Immigration and Customs.
ICE said on Tuesday that the arrests concerned immigrants suspected of being illegally in the United States and took place from early July to November. They resulted from a background check on potential sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children assigned to the Department of Health and Social Services.
More than two-thirds of those arrested – 109 in total – had no criminal record, the agency told me. Of the 61 people arrested, 61 had a criminal record, but ICE did not specify the crimes and stated that she could not overturn convictions handed down as a result of violent and nonviolent offenses.
The arrests follow a decision by the administration of President Donald Trump earlier this year that had allowed the immigration authorities. review the criminal history and legal status of anyone wishing to sponsor unaccompanied migrant children – usually relatives or relatives already in the United States – as well as any other adult living at home.
This rule allowed ICE to collect biometric data. Data including fingerprints, sponsors as well as other adults at home.
Just under 80% of those surveyed by ICE during the sponsorship process showed results such that they were not in the country legally, said the agency. The number of arrests was announced for the first time Monday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Lawyers fear that the rule will lead to arrests of people a growing number of children are being held in shelters or government foster homes.
Bills were introduced in the US Senate and House of Representatives that would prohibit ICE from using information obtained through the author's background checks for the purpose of 39; immigration. execution.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Who introduced the Senate bill, criticized the arrests on Twitter.
"A natural consequence of these arrests is that these children have nowhere to go," she tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
does not respond immediately to the request for comment on the concerns of the lawyers.
The latest figures follow the arrest in September of 41 people who had also tried to sponsor migrant children as a result of the change of government.
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