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Immigration Dragnets Catch US Citizens, Too

Legal residents have been detained, deported

By Ambreen Ali,  Newser User

Posted Apr 9, 2009 10:24 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Workplace raids and jail sweeps have become popular ways to enforce US immigration law, but they often result in the detention of legal residents, the Los Angeles Times reports. It can take months, sometimes years, to clear up, because many citizens don’t have proof of their legal status, few carry it around, and there’s no definitive database for officials to check.

Mistaken detentions are coming under increasing scrutiny as cases like Duarnis Perez’s emerge. Perez became a US citizen as a minor when his mother was naturalized, but he didn’t know it. He was deported, then imprisoned for 5 years upon his return before officials noticed he was a citizen. President Obama is expected limit workplace raids in favor of targeting employers.

A Russian immigrant explains the conditions of her detention at an ICE jail during an ACLU press conference in Los Angeles.
A Russian immigrant explains the conditions of her detention at an ICE jail during an ACLU press conference in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo)
Abelardo Chavez, 52, an immigrant from Mexico who was detained nearly two months by immigration authorities, listens to questions from the media.
Abelardo Chavez, 52, an immigrant from Mexico who was detained nearly two months by immigration authorities, listens to questions from the media.   (AP Photo)
US Marshals Service officers watch as suspected illegal immigrants are taken into US District Court in Tucson, Ariz.
US Marshals Service officers watch as suspected illegal immigrants are taken into US District Court in Tucson, Ariz.   (AP Photo)
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Sweeps won't stop: ICE
Hartford Courant (Conn.)

Children hurt by immigration policies
Urban Institute

Lawmaker wants to halt raids for accurate census
Fox News

 
immigration reform • citizenship • raids • illegal immigration • Immigration and Customs Enforcement • detention

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