A Look Inside Immigration Crackdown In Trump Era (Exclusive)

CHECKING OUT OPERATIONS FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW.
BORDER IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOM OFFICERS
NOW GUIDED BY THE NEW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES ARE
CARRYING OUT A STRING OF OPERATIONS THIS WEEK ALONE.
AN INSIDE LOOK INSIDE THIS OPERATION.
TELL US WHAT YOU FOUND OUT. >> YEAH, HALLIE, WE'RE EXPECTING
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
TO CONTINUE THAT TOUGH TALK ON IMMIGRATION.
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS
RELATED TO I.C.E. AND MOST OF THOSE ARE THE RESULTSESULTS OF
ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS THE SAME KIND OF OPERATIONS THAT WE SAW
HAPPEN UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA. SHOW US HOW THEY WORK.
THEY SAID THEY WERE TARGETING IMMIGRANTS WITH CRIMINAL
HISTORIES. WHILE WE WERE WITH THEM WE SAW
ONE IMMIGRANT FAMILY USE AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS CARD TO TURN
AGENTS AWAY. TAKE A LOOK.
ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN LOS ANGELES, THE FIRST IMMIGRATION ARRESTS
HAPPEN BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP. NINE TEAMS LIKE THIS ONE
SPANNING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH LISTS OF IMMIGRANTS WITH
CRIMINAL HISTORIES TARGETED FOR DEPORTATION.
>> WE DON'T DO RAIDS OR SWEEPS. WHAT WE'RE DOING, AGAIN, WHAT
YOU'VE SEEN THAT IS HAPPENING ALL THIS MORNING.
TARGETED ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS. >> Reporter: I.C.E. AGENTS
WAITING FOR THIS MAN TO WALK OUT THE DOOR BEFORE MOVING IN.
>> I GO TO WORK. >> DAVID IS A FIELD OFFICE
DIRECTOR FOR I.C.E. AND ENFORCED IMMIGRATION LAWS UNDER FOUR
PRESIDENTS. IF YOU'RE HERE IN THIS COUNTRY
ILLEGALLY, YOU SHOULD BE DEPORTED.
>> Reporter: AT THE LAST HOUSE, AGENTS TRY KNOCKING ON THE
WINDOW. BUT A WOMAN INSIDE FLASHES AN
IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS CARD LIKE THIS ONE SAYING THEY WILL NOT
COOPERATE WITHOUT A WARRANT. AND THE AGENTS STAND DOWN.
>> SHE BASICALLY SHOWED YOU A CARD FROM AN ATTORNEY THAT SAYS
DON'T TALK TO I.C.E. I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU IN.
OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO ABIDE BY THAT.
>> Reporter: BACK AT THE PROCESSING CENTER THE MEN
ROUNDED UP ARE WAITING TO CALL THEIR FAMILIES.
RODRIGUEZ IS A FELON WITH A HISTORY OF BURGLARIES AND DRUGS.
>> NO ONE'S PERFECT. EVERYBODY'S MADE MISTAKES.
>> Reporter: HE TELLS US HIS WIFE HAS CANCER AND HE HAS FIVE
CHILDREN. >> HE SAYS HE DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN WITH HIS WIFE. HE TAKES CARE OF HIS WIFE AND HE
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH HIS DAUGHTERS.
>> Reporter: SANTIAGO CONVICTED OF SELLING DRUGS AND HE'S BEEN
DEPORTED FOUR TIMES. >> HE SAYS THAT THE REASON WHY
HE KEEPS COMING BACK IS BECAUSE OF HIS DAUGHTERS.
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO. >> Reporter: I.C.E. SAYS THEY
WOULD HAVE RATHER DETAINED THESE MEN WHEN THEY WERE IN JAIL, BUT
MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WON'T HOLD AFTER JUDGES HAVE
RULED IN SEVERAL CASES THEIR USE WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
>> OUR PREFERENCE WOULD BLD BE TAKE THESE INDIVIDUALS INTO
CUSTODY IN A SECURE ENVIRONMENT AT A JAIL OR SOME OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT FACILITY. SO, INSTEAD, ARRESTS HAPPEN AT
THEIR HOMES IN PUBLIC OR AT WORK.
IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, NEWS OF ANY DEPORTATION LEADS TO
FEAR. HIGH-PROFILE REMOVALS WHO WAS
DEPORTED IN FRONT OF HER KIDS OR THIS WEEK NEWS OF A DOCA
RECIPIENT BEING SENT BACK TO MEXICO.
FAMILIES TERRIFIED THAT MINOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES OR THOSE WITH
NO CRIMINAL RECORD COULD BE DEPORTED.
>> WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH FAMILIES HERE.
>> THAT'S AN UNFORTUNATE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR IMMIGRATION
LAW. BUT WE DON'T MAKE IMMIGRATION
LAWS. OUR JOB IS TO ENFORCE THEM.
>> Reporter: MARIN SAYS THE LAWS ARE THE SAME, BUT THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS BRINGING CHANGE.
INCLUDING MORE RESOURCES AND MORE LEEWAY TO AGENTS ON WHO
SHOULD BE TARGETED. >> WITH THIS CURRENT
ADMINISTRATION, WE SORT OF SHIFTED IN THAT SPECTRUM OF
CRIMINALITY. NOW, INCLUDES EVERYONE THAT'S
NOT ONLY BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME, BUT THOSE THAT HAVE
ENTERED HERE ILLEGALLY. WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN CONVICTED
OF ILLEGAL ENTRY OR NOT. >> DOES THAT MEAN I.C.E. IS
PREPARED TO GO TO GO AFTER EVER? >> THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT
WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. ARE WE PREPARED?
IF WE GET THAT ORDER AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
>> Reporter: LEAVING UNDOCUMENTED FAMILIES LIVING
UNDER CONTRADICTION. A NATION OF LAWS AND WE ARE A
NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. >> AND SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP
TOOK OFFICE, WE HAVE SEEN OVER 16,000 IMMIGRANTS WITH CRIMINAL
HISTORIES ARRESTED. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN 5,000
IMMIGRANTS WITHOUT CRIMINAL HISTORIES ARRESTED.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE HIGHER THAN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WHEN YOU COMPARE MONTH TO MONTH, BUT THEY ARE STILL NOT AS HIGH
AS 2014 UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA. AND, OF NOTE, THIS WEEK THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL JUST CAME OUT WITH A REPORT THAT IS RAISING
SOME VERY SERIOUS QUESTIONS OVER WHETHER I.C.E. HAS THE STAFFING
OR THE TRAINING TO DEAL WITH THE HIGH LEVELS OF CASES THAT THEY
ALREADY HAVE ON THEIR RADAR. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
THAT ARE GOING TO BE ASKED OF THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND
SECURITY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL A LITTLE BIT LATER
TODAY.

A Look Inside Immigration Crackdown In Trump Era (Exclusive) | MSNBC

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