Agentes de ICE admiten cuotas de arrestos y uso de apps para ubicar inmigrantes
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that sworn testimony in an Oregon court revealed ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) teams were given verbal targets to make multiple arrests per day.
- Testimony alleges use of a digital tool called Elite that mapped neighborhoods and flagged “high‑value” targets, though witnesses said the data was sometimes inaccurate.
- A federal judge criticized tactics used in at least one operation; civil‑rights lawyers say quotas and surveillance tools risk unconstitutional detentions.
- For immigrants and immigrant communities, the revelations may explain patterns of local raids and increase concerns about workplace and neighborhood enforcement.
What the court heard
During a class‑action lawsuit brought by the immigrant‑rights group Innovation Law Lab, agents were questioned under oath about how immigration enforcement operations in Oregon were planned and run. It has been reported that an agent identified as “JB” testified his team — part of a DHS (Department of Homeland Security) operation called “Operación Rosa Negra” (Operation Black Rose) — received a verbal instruction to carry out eight arrests per day. Witnesses also described use of an app called Elite, which allegedly displayed maps of areas and could mark individual addresses and “high‑value” profiles; the agent acknowledged the app sometimes pointed to wrong addresses or people no longer living there.
Legal and civil‑rights implications
Federal officials have previously maintained there are no formal arrest quotas; it has been reported that the court disclosures challenge that public narrative. Judges and civil‑rights attorneys told the court these practices raise Fourth Amendment concerns about unreasonable searches and seizures and due‑process risks if enforcement decisions are driven by numerical goals rather than individualized probable cause. A federal judge, Mustafa Kasubhai, sharply criticized tactics used in a Woodburn operation where agents stopped a van of farmworkers, broke vehicle windows and made arrests — conduct lawyers say suggests enforcement based on presence in a sector, not concrete evidence.
What this means for people facing enforcement now
For immigrants — documented and undocumented — these revelations help explain why raids sometimes appear to target workplaces, neighborhoods or entire regions rather than specific, individualized suspects. Practically, it means heightened vigilance: community members report increased fear of travel to work, school or clinics. If you or a loved one faces ICE contact, consider reaching out to an immigration attorney or local legal‑aid group; know that constitutional protections like the requirement for probable cause still apply, and agents generally must show warrants for homes. This litigation may lead to more transparency or policy changes, but for now it underscores the importance of legal counsel and community resources when enforcement activity increases.
Source: Original Article