Federal immigration officials in San Diego have launched another series of raids aimed at capturing immigrant fugitives around the county. This time, though, fewer bystanders are getting caught in the sweeps. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has the story.
The sweep is the latest in federal immigration officials' ongoing efforts to arrest immigrants who've defied deportation orders.
Three months ago, immigration agents arrested more than 350 undocumented immigrants around the county in a similar operation.
However, most of those people did not have outstanding deportation orders. They were simply in the country illegally and discovered in homes where agents looked for targeted deportees.
Those so-called collateral arrests sparked outrage in the Latino and civil rights communities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Spokeswoman Lauren Mack says this time around, they're not focusing on collaterals. She offered little explanation as to why.
Mack : We have heard their concerns and we are a public agency so those concerns are also our concerns. But at the same time, we've got an enforcement job to do here and we plan to do it to help provide for public safety.
In the first two days of this current operation, the two people arrested are on the target list.
Mack would not say when this round of sweeps will end.
Amy Isackson, KPBS News.
