Civil libertarians say the government isn’t revealing all it knows about a three-day immigration raid in San Diego and Imperial Counties that began on December 11, 2009. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint in federal court alleging a violation of the Freedom of Information Act.
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Authorities arrested 71 immigrants in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The raids were part of a nationwide sweep to deport immigrants with criminal records. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say all of the arrests involved crimes, including robbery, rape, assault and drugs. ACLU attorney Sean Riordan said he’s not sure that’s the case.
“Because of the history of ICE saying one thing and doing another, there’s a really good reason why the public should be able to verify that in this most recent enforcement operation, which ICE touted as its largest criminal alien enforcement ever, that verification is necessary," said Riordan.
Nearly 300 immigrants were arrested around California during the three-day operation. Critics say the raids created fear in immigrant communities from armed federal agents targeting their neighborhoods.
