The Trump administration has gained attention for its aggressive stance on undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, branding those they target as the “worst of the worst.”
For over a month and a half, officials have flooded social media and news releases with mugshots of undocumented immigrants who have lengthy criminal records.
Among those highlighted is Cuong Chanh Phan, a 49-year-old Vietnamese man who was convicted in 1997 of second-degree murder connected to the deaths of two teenagers at a high school graduation party.
Other individuals, such as Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez, a Filipino national convicted in 1996 of sexual penetration with a foreign object and assault, and Eswin Uriel Castro, a Mexican national with convictions for child molestation and assault with a deadly weapon, have also been spotlighted.
Despite the focus on these individuals, the majority of immigrants apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security do not fit the administration’s narrative.
Data shows that as immigration arrests in the L.A. area surged from 540 in April to 2,185 in June, approximately 70% of those arrested had no criminal convictions.
Advocates for immigrants argue this contradicts claims from the administration suggesting a focus on “heinous illegal alien criminals” posing a threat to public safety.
A recent analysis from the Los Angeles Times, utilizing data from ICE, highlighted a dramatic increase in the arrest of those without criminal convictions, jumping from 35% in April to 69% by late June.
Austin Kocher, a geography expert at Syracuse University who focuses on immigration enforcement, asserts that the Trump administration is not fully transparent about the criminal status of individuals being arrested.
He explains that the administration emphasizes a few violent offenders to rationalize more aggressive immigration enforcement policies, which may not enjoy widespread public support.
In Los Angeles, the raids have led to the apprehension of several workers, including Jose Ortiz, a garment worker with 18 years of service, arrested during a raid on June 6, and Jesus Cruz, a car wash employee taken into custody just before his daughter’s graduation on June 8.
Emma De Paz, a recent widow working as a tamale vendor from Guatemala, was arrested outside a Home Depot in Hollywood on June 19.
These incidents contribute to evolving public perceptions of the raids.
Polls indicate a decline in support for Trump’s immigration agenda as federal agents have escalated their operations targeting undocumented workers in everyday settings.
ICE data reveals that out of the arrests made between June 1 and June 26, approximately 31% of those apprehended had criminal convictions, 11% faced pending charges, while 58% were categorized as “other immigration violators,” which includes individuals with no known criminal charges.
The rise in arrests of noncriminal immigrants in the L.A. area outpaces the national trend, where the percentage of immigrants without criminal convictions arrested climbed from 57% in April to 69% in June.
In Southern California, particularly Los Angeles County, the raids have faced intense pushback from the local community given that over 2 million residents are undocumented or have undocumented family members.
David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, emphasizes the dissonance in the administration’s messaging, stating that it falls apart when law-abiding residents are detained.
Trump never explicitly promised to arrest only criminals; following his inauguration, he signed executive orders aimed at drastically reducing immigration rates.
The focus shifted to including anyone who entered the country illegally.
Despite assurances of targeting violent offenders, officials conveyed that other undocumented individuals would also be subject to arrest.
Tom Homan, a key advisor for border policy, remarked, “If you’re in the country illegally, you got a problem.”
The administration escalated these efforts in May when Stephen Miller instructed ICE officials to broaden their enforcement tactics to include all undocumented immigrants irrespective of their criminal records.
Miller’s directive set ambitious arrest quotas, causing concern among experts regarding the feasibility of achieving such goals solely by targeting criminals.
The Trump administration reported a significant uptick in arrests of undocumented immigrants, claiming over 300,000 individuals had been detained within the first six months of his presidency.
However, by June, the assertion that 70% of ICE arrests involved individuals with criminal backgrounds had significantly declined, with only 43% of those arrested in the L.A. region having any criminal records.
Despite this, ICE continued to assert its commitment to “putting the worst first.”
The widening gap between official claims and the realities of the arrests has contributed to waning public support for the deportation agenda.
A CBS/YouGov poll from July illustrated a drop in approval for Trump’s immigration policies, decreasing from 56% in March to just 46% by July.
Asked about prioritization in deportations, only 44% of those surveyed identified “dangerous criminals” as the primary target.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have accused the Trump administration of conducting an experiment with its immigration enforcement policies in their state.
Newsom’s spokesperson, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, alleged the federal government is using California to validate its indiscriminate actions aimed at fulfilling arrest quotas without regard for the legality or safety of these actions.
When questioned about the rationale for arresting individuals without criminal backgrounds, officials often cite violations of immigration law.
Homan reaffirmed this perspective, indicating that ICE will take action on anyone found to be illegally residing in the country.
Experts argue this undermines claims that the administration is focused on public safety threats.
The transition from framing the issue around serious offenders to now encompassing individuals simply breaking immigration laws reflects a significant shift in rhetoric.
To address the growing concerns, the Trump administration has sought new methods to identify and target undocumented individuals with criminal records.
Threats to withhold federal funding from California stem from its “sanctuary state” law limiting ICE’s coordination with local jails to high-level offenders, excluding many undocumented individuals without serious charges.
Recently, the U.S. Justice Department requested data regarding jail inmates who are not U.S. citizens, enabling federal agents to focus their efforts on those with criminal convictions.
While the DOJ claims that any undocumented immigrant violates federal law, it emphasizes those who commit additional crimes pose a greater risk.
Kocher emphasizes the need for clarity between serious threats and those simply striving to live peacefully in their communities.
A reconsideration of how individuals are treated under immigration law may be necessary to discern between genuine public safety threats and those unlawfully present but contributing positively to society.
Observing how the current system operates reveals ICE struggling to draw a clear line in this differentiation.
Potential discussions around pathways for those living peacefully in the country could reshape the dialogue on immigration reform.
In the rush to distribute mugshots highlighting certain criminals, the Trump administration overlooked crucial details regarding their arrests.
In a notable example, Veneracion’s release was communicated to ICE weeks before he was apprehended, yet they failed to act on this information until after his release.
ICE arrested him on June 7 while he was at their office, followed by a media release the next day showcasing his arrest in connection with Trump’s crackdown.
Similarly, Phan had served nearly 25 years for his convictions but was apprehended after being released into ICE custody post-parole approval.
Despite being framed as a triumph in immigration enforcement, the circumstances of their apprehensions reveal the complexities and challenges inherent in the administration’s approach to immigration policy.
image source from：latimes
