Soon after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump endorsed several executive mandates centered around immigration. These directives involve giving more federal agencies, such as the ATF and DEA, the power to carry out immigration arrests and to assign U.S. military personnel to the southern boundary. The armed forces have been enlisted for deporting immigrants by air to various nations, Columbia included. A small number of raids, happening at local business establishments, led to detainees retained at county prisons.
Highly experienced immigration lawyer, Jessica Rodriguez Bell, noticed a tangible shift in the early span of Trump’s second tenure, chiefly in terms of people’s dread. The number of apprehensive calls from individuals worried about the potential effects of these executive directives has surged, even from those legally residing in the country. She quoted, ‘There’s an undeniable wave of fear. There’s a raised level of alertness.’ She added that even legal workers are hesitant to venture out due to escalated anxiety, primarily those originating from regions like Central or South America.
Since the new administration’s amendments, the operations of ICE have become quite apparent to the populace. Bell attested that during the Biden rule, not much ICE activity was apparent, a detail that took a dramatic turn after Trump’s administration took over, forcing public and media attention due to frequent incidents of raids and bulk detentions. The enforcement by ICE has been stringent, primarily directing its attention on individuals possessing criminal convictions or arrest notices. Citizens have reported observing ICE vehicles stationed near their residences.
People have the legal right to demand a search warrant if ICE officers arrive at their homes. Agents are mandated to be in possession of a search warrant that has been endorsed by a judge. Bell, along with her workmates, instruct the citizens on how to insist on legal paperwork and underline that homes shouldn’t be entered unless an authentic judicial search warrant is provided by the agents.
It is also within the rights of a detained person to wish to communicate with an attorney and speak to their native country’s consul. Bell emphasized that due to a language barrier, individuals might unknowingly sign off their own deportation documents, thus the necessity to involve an attorney.
When detained, the person in question is given a Notice to Appear, containing the accusations leveled against them. Subsequent to their release from custody, they are provided a date and time to be present before the Cleveland Immigration Court. Individuals charged with a local crime would have to undergo the criminal procedure prior to triggering the immigration proceedings.
Bell mentioned that the immigration cases for those who are already in detention are fast-tracked by the courts, usually taking several months as they are given priority. On the other hand, for those who have been released, cases can span from one to three years.
In relation to individuals serving prison sentences stemming from previous convictions, they will complete their terms prior to initiating the deporting proceedings. If someone concludes their sentence, they are instantaneously moved to ICE’s supervision to commence the immigration court’s process.
As per the most recent intel on the agency’s online portal, presently there exist two institutions in the state of Ohio that are responsible for keeping ICE detainees. These establishments are located in Geauga and Seneca County jails, both situated in northeast Ohio.
Claims for asylum are also processed through the immigration court. However, the victory in asylum claims can be challenging owing to the specific interpretation of the case law. Bell indicated that Cleveland is considerably more rigid than other regions in the country, often rejecting requests for asylum with the identical evidence that resulted in granting asylum in regions like NYC or Miami.
Additionally, the Laken Riley Act, approved by Congress and anticipated to receive President Trump’s signature, might bring about further modifications supplementing the executive orders. This act would pave the way for ICE to detain someone accused of a violent crime or theft offense, including shoplifting, before they are found guilty. Bell voiced her apprehensions about the lack of due process in the criminal procedures.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther repeated his assurance that Columbus police wouldn’t take part in enforcing immigration laws, choosing to solely concentrate on verifying immigration statuses. The Franklin County Sheriff’s office confirmed that their ‘roles or responsibilities relating to immigration enforcement’ remain unaffected so far.