XPost: alt.politics.immigration, va.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: sac.politics, alt.law-enforcement
WASHINGTON - ICE is preparing to deploy Special Response Teams (SRTs) to
five cities run by Democratic leaders ahead of anticipated protest
activity this weekend, FOX has confirmed.
What we know:
SRTs are elite SWAT tactical teams responsible for going after the most high-risk targets. They were most recently deployed in Los Angeles as
part of the federal government's efforts to quell protest activity.
Reports say the teams will deploy in Northern Virginia, New York,
Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle.
Hundreds of "No Kings Day" protests are planned across the U.S. on
Saturday, June 14, to protest the Trump administration's policies.
"From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community
parks, we're taking action to reject authoritarianism - and show the
world what democracy really looks like," organizers said on the official
No Kings website.
The largest of these protests is planned for Philadelphia, one of the
cities reportedly being targeted by the ICE SRTs.
"These riots are not going to deter us," one source involved in planning
told FOX reporter Brooke Taylor. "We are here doubling down and
enforcement operations are going to happen. If anything, we will be
arresting more illegal aliens in these locations."
The backstory:
Protests planned for Saturday, June 14 coincide with a large-scale
military parade in Washington, D.C. to mark the Army's 250th
anniversary. It is also President Donald Trump's birthday.
"It's going to be an amazing day," Trump said to reporters Tuesday.
"We'll have tanks, we'll have planes, we'll have all sorts of things. I
think it's going to be great."
Trump warned that any demonstrations during the parade would be met with
force.
"If there's any protesters that want to come out," he said, "they're
going to be met with very big force."
Local perspective:
An ICE official tells FOX 5 that agents arrested nearly a dozen people Wednesday outside the immigration court in Sterling.
ICE said these individuals had overstayed visas or been ordered
deported, and were taken into custody before they could "disappear" back
into the community, as ICE put it.
ICE says it's routine for agents to monitor immigration courts, and not
just arrest those with violent criminal records, but also people who are
simply in the U.S. without authorization.
But immigrant advocates are sounding the alarm - saying arresting people
at court is a dangerous precedent.
"The people being arrested at court are actually following the law. They
may have overstayed a visa or applied for asylum - but they're showing
up to court as required. So when ICE arrests them at court, they're
really sending a message: either they don't want people to follow the
law... or they don't care about the judicial process at all," said CASA Virginia Director Luis Aguilar.
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/ice-deploy-tactical-units-northern-virginia-4 -other-cities
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