Nearly 100% of immigrants recently detained in Chicago have no criminal record

Of the hundreds of immigrants detained in ICE raids in the Chicago area in recent weeks, more than 97%, according to federal court records, have NO criminal convictions. This information, reported in the Chicago newspaper La Tribuna, clearly contradicts the Trump administration's claims that the purpose of its raids in areas such as Chicago, currently in Charlotte, and previously in Southern California, was to fight crime and make cities safer.

Trump and his supporters say they are arresting “the worst of the worst,” but the reality is that when the court has reviewed the criminal records of those detained, following the famous Castanon-Nava lawsuit in Chicago filed by human rights groups, the vast majority have no criminal history, so the court has ordered that these immigrants detained without an arrest warrant must be released.

According to the court's review of the 614 immigrants detained during the Chicago operation, only 16 have a significant criminal history, 10 had crimes involving domestic violence and fights, and a couple had drunk driving offenses. All the others have no pending or previous charges and pose no risk to the public, meaning that more than 90% are NOT considered a minimal risk to public safety. All of this is based on information that the federal government provided as part of the lawsuit.

We are waiting for the people who were detained in Chicago, at least the group detained until October 7, to be released, although it appears they will have to pay a $1,500 bond. This is also an order from the same lawsuit filed by immigrants in Chicago who have challenged Trump's policy of arresting people solely because of their foreign physical appearance, such as being Latino, Asian, etc.

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FREEDOM FOR IMMIGRANTS DETAINED IN THE CHICAGO AREA WITHOUT ARREST WARRANTS

If you know of people who were detained in Chicago, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, they can contact me or another immigration attorney to find out if they can be released. Please note that the protection of this lawsuit does NOT apply to people arrested in Michigan, even if they are still in detention.

Statistics on people arrested in Los Angeles also indicate that during the most intense operation from June 1 to 10, the vast majority, approximately 70% of the 722 immigrants detained, also had no criminal convictions. It is important that we make the American public aware of what is happening with these operations, which are nothing more than a racist attack, not to make the country safer but to deport immigrants.

We continue to fight in the courts and in the streets for the defense of human rights and justice, especially for immigrants.