Immigration Court Arrests Spark Outrage, Raise Legal Concerns
NEW YORK – A growing number of arrests made by federal agents inside immigration courts across the United States are prompting accusations of abuse of the legal system and leaving immigrants facing a harrowing dilemma: risk arrest by attending scheduled hearings, or face automatic deportation by failing to appear. The practice, defended by the government as a necessary measure to remove risky criminals, has drawn criticism from legal experts and sparked fear within immigrant communities.
The controversy centers on a tactic where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehend individuals with pending court cases while they are present for their hearings. Legal advocates argue this undermines the integrity of the court process and creates an impractical situation for those navigating the complex immigration system.
“If they turn up for court hearings, as they are instructed to do, they could be arrested,” a legal expert stated. “But if they skip their court date, a judge could automatically order their deportation.”
The government maintains it possesses broad authority to detain individuals in the country illegally. Officials assert that arrests are targeted and focused on removing individuals with violent criminal histories, frequently highlighting such cases in public statements.
“DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted, and officers do their due diligence.We certainly know who we are targeting ahead of time,” an agency official said in a statement.
Recent polling data suggests public support for deportation, with a New York Times/Siena poll finding that 54% of respondents support deporting people who are in the US illegally, and 51% believe the government is targeting the right individuals.
One case drawing particular attention involves Rubén Abelardo Ortiz López, whose wife, Ms Moreta Galarza, alleges he was forcefully apprehended by agents at an immigration court, causing her to fall to the floor. The government defends the arrest, stating Ortiz López is a violent criminal with a history of arrest on June 18 for “assault and criminal obstruction of airway or bloodstream” after entering the country illegally on March 20, 2024.
A statement from the governance declared, “President Trump and Secretary (of Homeland Security Kristi) Noem will not allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens… If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will arrest you and you will never return.”
though, for Ms Moreta Galarza, the incident evoked painful memories of injustice. “I suffered a lot in my country. I had no protection and the authorities there didn’t care,” she told BBC News Mundo. “I never thought the same thing would happen to her in the US… It’s very ugly. I feel like I’m worthless now.”
