The deportation of people living in the United States illegally that President Donald Trump tweeted about earlier this week are expected to begin Sunday and could target up to 2,000 immigrants, two sources familiar with the planning told NBC News Friday.
The ICE raids will target mainly families with final orders of deportation, according to NBC News. Miami is among a number of cities that are being targeted in the raids, with Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles New York City, and San Francisco also on the list, the Miami Herald reported citing congressional offices and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources.
"Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in," Trump tweeted Monday.
An administration official said the effort would focus on the more than 1 million people who have been issued final deportation orders by federal judges but remain at large in the U.S. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to explain the president's tweets.
The acting head of ICE Mark Morgan said in an interview with journalists earlier this month that there would be enforcement action coming that would include deporting families, and that it would be done humanely.
"As a city, Miami thrives on the diversity of its people - it's who we are. We are a city of immigrants. We agree that criminals, like dangerous gang members who came here illegally, should be deported immediately," Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said in a statement. "As Mayor, I trust that only those individuals who represent a clear and present danger to our communities will be affected by this DHS policy."
Miam-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in a statement Friday that the Miami-Dade Police Department will not participate in any operations or sweeps involving ICE for the purpose of enforcing immigration detainers.
Local
"Federal law enforcement authorities typically do not forecast these types of activities, and we simply do not know the extent of such a planned operation. As such, monitoring or reviewing a federal operation or processes is not in local governments' purview because the federal government operates outside the scope of review of the County government," Gimenez' statement read in part.
If these operations are taking place, my hope is the individuals being removed are for offenses that are violent in nature or accomplish other priorities that make the community safer. Impacting the lives of immigrant families without due process is simply not justifiable or prudent."
