New ICE Memo Allows for Wider Authority to Make Arrests Without Warrants, Fanning Concerns Over Civil Detentions.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been granted more leeway to carry out warrantless arrests of individuals suspected of being in the United States without proper authorization. A recent memo issued by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has significantly expanded the grounds on which agents can cite to conclude that an administrative immigration arrest warrant would allow a suspect to flee.
Under current U.S. immigration law, officers typically require an administrative warrant before making an arrest. However, the law permits agents to make warrantless arrests if they believe someone is in the country without proper authorization and are likely to escape before a warrant can be issued. A new interpretation of "likely to escape," introduced by Lyons, has been met with criticism, as it now includes situations where the individual may simply refuse to cooperate or appear to pose an immediate flight risk.
The expanded authority allows ICE agents more flexibility in detaining individuals who are not the primary target of an operation but may still be deemed a threat due to refusal to comply with commands or possession of potentially fraudulent documents. These "collateral arrests" often involve immigrants accused of minor civil immigration infractions without serious criminal histories.
Critics argue that this new approach puts more power in the hands of ICE agents, potentially allowing for broader and more aggressive enforcement actions against immigrant communities. The agency's activities have been at the center of intense backlash in recent weeks, particularly following a series of fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been granted more leeway to carry out warrantless arrests of individuals suspected of being in the United States without proper authorization. A recent memo issued by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has significantly expanded the grounds on which agents can cite to conclude that an administrative immigration arrest warrant would allow a suspect to flee.
Under current U.S. immigration law, officers typically require an administrative warrant before making an arrest. However, the law permits agents to make warrantless arrests if they believe someone is in the country without proper authorization and are likely to escape before a warrant can be issued. A new interpretation of "likely to escape," introduced by Lyons, has been met with criticism, as it now includes situations where the individual may simply refuse to cooperate or appear to pose an immediate flight risk.
The expanded authority allows ICE agents more flexibility in detaining individuals who are not the primary target of an operation but may still be deemed a threat due to refusal to comply with commands or possession of potentially fraudulent documents. These "collateral arrests" often involve immigrants accused of minor civil immigration infractions without serious criminal histories.
Critics argue that this new approach puts more power in the hands of ICE agents, potentially allowing for broader and more aggressive enforcement actions against immigrant communities. The agency's activities have been at the center of intense backlash in recent weeks, particularly following a series of fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis.
just read about this new ICE memo and i'm low-key freaking out 
they're basically giving these agents carte blanche to arrest anyone who refuses to cooperate or has some sketchy docs on them 
it's like, what's the end goal here? more power in the hands of ICE agents = more problems for immigrant communities 
. As someone who's seen my cousin get detained by ICE for just having expired paperwork, I know how stressful and scary it can be to deal with these kinds of situations. This expanded authority feels like a recipe for disaster – what if ICE agents start picking off people left and right without even bothering to check their documents? It's already tough enough living in fear of deportation; we don't need more reasons to feel anxious all the time 
. And have you seen how much misinformation is spread about who gets arrested under these new rules? I've heard stories from friends who know someone who was detained for "refusing to cooperate" and it just doesn't add up...
I'm getting super anxious about this new ICE memo 
They're basically saying that if you refuse to cooperate or seem like a flight risk, they can make an arrest without a warrant. That's, like, soooo not how law enforcement works... or does it now? 
. and what about the collateral arrests? we're talking about people who are already suspected of minor infractions, not major crimes. shouldn't they at least have due process and a chance to fight their case in court? this new interpretation is just so broad and it's got me worried 
.
. It's like they're trying to make the whole country one big immigration detention center 
. I'm all for enforcing laws and order, but this feels like an abuse of power 
.
This new memo is like a slippery slope, ya know? One thing that came to mind when I read this is how easily our power can get abused if we're not careful. See, having more flexibility doesn't necessarily mean it's gonna be used for good. ICE agents might start making arrests left and right without warrants because they feel like it. That's when you gotta ask yourself what's the real definition of "likely to escape" anyway? Is it really about flight risks or is it just an excuse to target people who don't wanna cooperate?
Meanwhile, the number of administrative immigration arrests (the kind that don't require warrants) has increased by a whopping 50%! 
. It feels like they're putting these people in a really tough spot...
. i'm not a fan of this new approach at all - it feels like we're losing the trust between law enforcement and our communities