Who is ICE arresting? New info on Houston operations
ICE Operations: FOX 26 Crime Files
ICE has made thousands of arrests and we know hundreds of undocumented immigrants have been removed from the U.S. since President Trump took office. But with so much changing so fast, we know it's hard to keep up with what's going on. FOX 26's Abigail Dye has more.
HOUSTON - Immigration and Customs Enforcement say they have been executing enforcement removal operations (ERO) across the nation targeting convicts or those accused of serious crimes.
ICE removal operations aren't new, Houston's been doing them for years
"Right now, we're concentrating on public safety threats, national security threats," said Tom Homan White House Border Czar.
ERO's aren't new, especially in Houston. We brought you along one just last month.
The ICE Houston field office told us in an exclusive interview that they've been conducting ERO's on a daily basis for years, and that in 2024, 90% of the individuals they detained were convicts or those accused of serious crimes.
The interview was shot a week before the new administration took office. Bret Bradford, the Houston Field Office Director, explained then that while ERO's are targeted, they can encounter and arrest other undocumented immigrants while executing them.
"We don't do sweeps, we don't do raids, enforcement removal operations, we do targeted operations only. We may encounter collateral subjects who are subject to removal as well," said Bradford.
What's different now?:
Houston ICE is doing what they have been for years. What's different?
Now, ICE nationally has more autonomy due to changes in policy, executive orders and new acts.
President Trump signed 10 executive orders concerning immigration and border security encouraging different department of justice agencies to aid in ICE operations including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
One of the orders did away with a previous protection that banned immigration enforcement from entering schools and churches.
He also signed the Laken Riley Act, which expands the scope of what crimes constitution detention by requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
By the numbers:
According to ICE stats, nationally, 71% of arrests in FY2024 were of those accused or convicted of crimes. ICE has been posting national arrest numbers daily on X since January 23, but they aren't specifying what percentage of those arrests are convicts or collaterals.
While ICE hasn't reported deportations, Columbian diplomat Luis Gilberto Murillo posted on X that two deportation planes arrived in Columbia Tuesday.
He said one from El Paso carried 91 deportees and claimed that none of them were criminals.
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Impact on Houston immigrants :
Immigration lawyer Magali Suárez Candler says the uncertainty is inciting fear in immigrant communities.
"Who was deported? Are they being detained? Are they allowed to see immigration judges or are they all being put on planes? I don't really know, but we'll see," she said.
She explained that undocumented immigrants who have no criminal history do have rights and says that if they encounter ICE she suggests that they:
-Request to see a warrant
-Requesting to speak to their lawyer
-Request to be seen by an immigration judge
"Even if you don't have an immigration lawyer, call a family member and have them arrange to get you one," she said.
The Source: ICE Houston Field Office, Tom Homan White House Border Czar, WhiteHouse Executive Orders, Immigration lawyer Magali Suárez Candler, Columbian Diplomat Luis Gilberto Murillo's X, ICE statistics dashboard, ICE's X