Analysis of the recent immigration arrests

After weeks of immigration raids and arrests, who really has been arrested? Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s appointed “border czar,” said the initial deportation efforts would focus on people who pose public safety threats.

But according to “The Arizona Republic,” most of the people whose cases have recently landed in Phoenix federal court were accused only of entering the U.S. illegally. Court records show some were not even on the radar of immigration officials. Instead, they came to authorities’ attention because of tips that were months or years old.

Richard Ruelas, a reporter for “The Arizona Republic,” joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the recent immigration arrests. In Arizona, Ruelas said the immigration arrests have been popularly performed through individual stops and house visits.

“We didn’t see the mass raids that we thought we’d see or the shows of force. So, figuring if there is the worst of the worst being arrested, they have to go to criminal court, and so we’re going to be in criminal court to just see who comes in,” Ruelas said.

He said the worst felony he saw in court was “reentry of a deported alien,” however the cases that were in court were not all recent. For example, one man had attempted to purchase a firearm in the U.S. while not obtaining residency. There were about 15 cases where individuals were arrested based on surveillance cameras.

“These are tips, people are calling in the tip line and ICE could be acting on it, ICE won’t tell us what this new technique is but the defense attorneys that have been around these cases say it’s got to be someone just calling the tip line and saying I believe this person is here illegally,” Ruelas said.

He said he does not know if the arrests are increasing however he is still sitting in court cases.