Adriano Espaillat and Pablo José Hernández
Washington- Congressmen Adriano Espaillat and Pablo José Hernández demanded answers about legal justification and unfair arrests in the operations of the customs immigration and control service (ICE) in New Jersey and Puyrto Rico,
Espaillat, president of the Hispanic Caucus of Congress (CHC), and Hernández, resident commissioner of Puerto Rico and member of the National Security Committee of the House of Representatives, sent a letter to the Secretary of the United States National Security Department (DHS) , Kristi Noem, and the interim director of the Customs Immigration and Control Service (ICE) and urged them to investigate the conduct of their agents in those operations.
“Deep concern”
“We write to express our deep concern for the recent operational operations of the United States Immigration and Customs Control (ICE) in New Jersey and Puerto Rico,” they explain in the letter.
They cite that «the media reports in both regions highlight the reckless action of ICE agents, which has caused considerable anguish in communities. These actions have infused alarmingly fear among residents, have disturbed commercial activities and have raised serious concerns about the behavior of federal agencies and the preservation of rights to due process. ”
Dominicans arrested in PR
During the weekend, several media reported that ICE agents arrested at least three people of Dominican origin in the Obrero neighborhood of Santurce, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. According to media reports, face -to -face witnesses observed agents questioning people in neighborhoods with an important Dominican population to verify their immigration status. In a separate incident on January 23, ICE agents raided a small business in Newark, New Jersey, and arrested a Puerto Rican military veteran without a court order, even when he showed a valid veteran identification card to the authorities.
Espaillat and Hernández emphasized that “these actions not only generate concerns about fundamental rights, but also instill fear and distrust in communities.”
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