DULUTH, Minn. — Federal immigration officials arrested members of a roofing crew working in Duluth this week. Five people were apparently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, advocate Ryan Perez told the Duluth News Tribune, citing a family member of a roofer in the company.
Perez is organizing director for Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, which is part of the newly formed Immigrant Defense Network that launched amid President Donald Trump’s vow to carry out mass deportations.
It wasn’t immediately clear why the roofers were targeted for arrest, where they are from, or the status of their cases.
“Due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are not able to research and respond to specifics of routine daily operations for ICE,” regional spokesperson Alethea Smock wrote in response to a News Tribune inquiry.
The Duluth Police Department said it was not informed of the enforcement action in the Lakeside neighborhood and did not take part in it.
“DPD’s public safety response remains the same,” Chief Mike Ceynowa said in a statement. “Our main priority has been and always will be the safety and security of our community. We weren’t involved in any immigration incidents and weren’t informed of actions occurring in our community.”
Mayor Roger Reinert, likewise, stressed that the city is not responsible for immigration issues.
“We have multiple levels of government in the United States, and each is charged with different responsibilities,” he said. “At the local level, our city staff continue to be focused on core city services: streets, utilities and public safety. Local government is not responsible for immigration enforcement.”
Trump has vowed to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history during his second term — at times suggesting he wants to deport every person in the country illegally. That figure was estimated to be 11 million by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2022.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the agency made more than 20,000 arrests in Trump’s first month. The administration also has reversed policies that prohibited raids at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and places of worship.
But data has shown that some 41% of new detainees have no criminal record, in contradiction to the administration’s claim that it is targeting violent criminals. And the 37,660 people deported during Trump’s first month is far lower than last year’s monthly average of 57,000 under President Joe Biden.
Related Articles
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, acknowledges the pope’s criticism of US immigration crackdown
Panama and Costa Rica turning into a ‘ black hole’ for migrants, deportees from US, observers warn
Refugee aid groups say Trump administration is trying to circumvent court order
Volunteers use bullhorns and sirens to warn immigrants when ICE is in their area
Health clinic workers brush up on constitutional protections as immigration raids loom
Leave a Reply