FALSE ALARM: Undocumented Caribbean Nationals Elude Trump’s Round-Up

Undocumented Caribbean nationals in the United States remained largely untouched by last month’s announced mass round-up and deportation ordered by President Donald Trump.

Following Trump’s declaration, scheduled to begin July 14 and target thousands of families in 10 major U.S. cities, including those occupied by hundreds of undocumented Caribbean nationals, reports indicated they fell well short of the president’s demands.

Up to press time official statistics on the exact results of the raids were not available from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency assigned to carry them out. However, the New York Times, quoting officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reported that 35 people were detained in the raids, despite Trump’s boast that “many, many were taken out.”

Multiple reports also indicated the raids were not widespread in the U.S. as announced. In many designated cities, the raids may not have been conducted at all.

“The nationwide crackdown on illegal immigrants the Trump administration said were going to start (July 14) didn’t materialize”, CBS News reported.

“There were few reports of unusual activity by immigration agents.”

According to Reuters news agency, “There were no reports of mass arrests from the American Immigration Council.”

Up to press time it remained unclear if Caribbean nationals were among those detained in the raids.

PLAN

Trump announced prior to the raids that ICE would seek to apprehend at least 2,000 undocumented families, including those who had defied deportation orders, plus others who might get caught in the net.

“(ICE is) … going to take people out and they're going to bring them back to their countries or they're going to take criminals out, put them in prison, or put them in prison in the countries they came from,” the president declared.

The president’s tough talk heightened fear in communities with large immigrant populations. It also rallied support for undocumented U.S. residents. Many Americans took to the streets in protest. Caribbean American lawmakers condemned Trump’s plan.

“We have a bigot-in-chief who is overstepping his authority in his role as president pushing to deport immigrants from America,” said U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, daughter of Jamaican parents.

Community and legal organizations openly offered advice on how to avoid being apprehended by ICE. A social media campaign launched by the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, outlined rights available to the undocumented under the U.S. Constitution, which could prevent or delay their apprehension by ICE. Local lawmakers and businesses also pitched in with similar advice. They advised undocumented immigrants not to open their doors if ICE agents knocked without a judge-approved warrant.

OBJECTION

The assistance for undocumented residents was sparked in part by growing public objection to the manner in which the Trump administration has reportedly treated immigrants of color, particularly those already apprehended.

Forced family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border have rankled the public. Many were also disturbed by the belief Trump announced the raids largely to appease his political base with an eye on the 2020 presidential election.

According to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the Trump administration, 256,085 “illegal aliens (were) removed from U.S.” in fiscal year 2018, a 13 percent increase from the previous year.

More than half of those - 57 percent - were listed as “convicted criminals”. Nearly 6,000 of those deported were listed “as either known or suspected gang members or terrorists”.

FALLING SHORT

Despite no reports by ICE of a massive spike in arrests of undocumented persons during last month’s raids, Caribbean nationals have remained cautious. Prior to the scheduled raids, some even dismissed Trump’s threats as typical fear-mongering.

“They’ve grown wary,” said Irwine Clare, a Caribbean American immigration activist. “They say what’s new?”

Yet, during the scheduled time of the raids, many undocumented reportedly chose to stay home on days they would normally spend in the streets, shopping, going to and from work or school. Some relocated, at least temporarily.

San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Baltimore, Chicago and Atlanta were the cities targeted by ICE last month. However, top elected officials in several cities said they would not co-operate with ICE during the operations.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has warned of future raids.