Motorists look out for ICE as LA schools start new year

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(The Center Square) – Wednesday was the first day of school for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and with it came reports of people being on the lookout for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near campuses.

The Center Square has not been able to independently confirm these reports. But a CBS Los Angeles crew was inside of one of the cars as a woman drove through a neighborhood and talked about looking for possible ICE activity in the nation's second-largest school district. The footage was broadcast live Wednesday morning on KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV. Other media reported similar patrols by parents, teachers and neighbors driving cars in school districts throughout California as the new school year started Wednesday.

Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights said he is “not aware of vehicles keeping tabs on ICE.” And a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – who did not provide a name – said ICE is not going to schools to make arrests.

“If a dangerous or violent illegal criminal alien felon were to flee into a daycare, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect the safety of the children,” the DHS spokesperson told The Center Square. “This type of rhetoric is contributing to our officers facing coordinated campaigns of violence against them including a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, 3,300% increase in vehicle attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”

White House spokesperson Lauren Bis also dismissed the reports. Bis told The Center Square that this is more “fearmongering” by sanctuary politicians.

“ICE does NOT target schools or threaten children,” said Bis. “In fact, our brave law enforcement officers are protecting children by removing pedophiles and other criminal illegal aliens from Los Angeles.”

Like the DHS spokesperson, Bis described the suspicions against ICE as “garbage” that is contributing to officers facing large increases in assaults against them and death threats.

ICE has been on a mission to locate and deport illegal immigrants. This is part of Republican President Donald Trump’s agenda to secure the nation’s borders.

Democrats and other critics of the Trump administration say this makes people fearful, but Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform said that anti-ICE people are stoking fears.

“ICE is a professional law enforcement department that carries out its responsibility to locate and arrest people who are in violation of U.S. immigration laws,” said Mehlman, FAIR’s media director, during an interview with The Center Square. “They carry out enforcement actions in places where illegal aliens are likely to be found and where the risks to the officers and the public are minimal.”

One example offered by Mehlman is the ICE enforcement action last week in Georgia, where officers arrested more than 1,200 illegal aliens without incident, “including 720 with serious criminal records.”

If people want to ride around in their cars looking for ICE agents, Mehlman said that is their right as citizens, as long as they do not interfere or obstruct law enforcement.

“But considering the state of education in LAUSD, everyone would probably be better off if they were spending their time in classrooms teaching kids math, science and literacy,” said Mehlman.