Immigration

Orange County Reporter -  Paramount, California — a working-class, predominantly immigrant city — is now the latest flashpoint in a terrifying pattern of militarized crackdowns and unchecked aggression by federal agencies and private operatives. Residents report a surge of operations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), private contractors like Blackwater (now rebranded as Constellis), and even rogue bounty hunters acting outside of constitutional limits. These forces have descended upon the city with military-grade equipment, assault rifles, unmarked vehicles, and the blatant disregard for civil rights that has come to characterize such operations.

The most horrifying incident came during a peaceful protest earlier this week, when a protester was run over by a federal vehicle. Witnesses state that the victim — a young activist marching against ICE raids in the neighborhood — was deliberately targeted. The federal agents present refused to offer medical assistance and instead formed a perimeter to shield the vehicle and its driver from public accountability. The victim was later rushed to the hospital by fellow demonstrators. No arrests have been made. No apologies issued.

 NPR - President Trump's immigration crackdown is causing some individuals to leave the country. High-profile raids on farms, construction sites, and restaurants has prompted many workers to go into hiding. According to the Labor Department, over a million foreign-born workers have exited the labor force in the past two months. Consequently, businesses that have traditionally depended on workers without legal authorization are facing significant challenges.  

If you look at broad national numbers, it might seem like it’s not having a huge impact, as both construction companies and restaurants continued to add jobs last month, NPR’s Scott Horsley reports. Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, says the immigration crackdown has had a chilling effect when it comes to people showing up for work, but it tends to be localized. “The impact is for a week or two. But then people have got to show up and work and earn money for their families,” Dietz tells Horsley. The growth of the foreign-born workforce in recent years has supported the U.S. economy, but the president's new strategy focuses on engaging more native-born individuals in the workforce.

NBC News - A recent memo obtained by NBC News highlights how the Justice Department instructs immigration judges, who work for the executive branch, to dismiss cases in a tactic to speed up arrests.

The protests that roiled Los Angeles over the weekend were set to spread Tuesday across the country, as activists planned demonstrations in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and elsewhere.