NYC Mayor Attacks Trump as Immigration Raids Begin
New York City's mayor on Sunday called nationwide immigration raids a "political act" by President Trump intended to help him win re-election.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the raids weren't about security or enforcing the law.
"This is a political act by this president, he's politicized a United States government agency to help him win re-election," de Blasio said.
On Saturday there were confirmed sightings of ICE agents knocking on doors, but no one was arrested, the mayor said. There were no reported raids in the city on Sunday by midday.
A senior US official told NBC News on Sunday that ICE raids had begun as part of an operation expected to target 2,000 immigrants in 10 major U.S. cities including New York over the next few days.
De Blasio, who is one of at least two dozen Democrats running for president, came under criticism himself on Saturday when he was campaigning in Iowa during a massive midtown Manhattan blackout. He canceled campaign events and returned to the city on Sunday.
At a news conference on the blackout, he also fielded questions about the ICE raids, which he called "horrible."
Trump is "stoking fear and he's trying to pit immigrant against citizen in a way that's very, very cynical," de Blasio said. "But then when the moment of truth comes, suddenly it's all fear, no action."
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan would not answer questions about the operation at an unrelated briefing in Washington on Sunday on the emergency management response to Hurricane Barry.
In 2012 under the Obama administration, there were over 1,000 ICE arrests per day on average. However, families were not targeted then as they are now.
Protests were held across the tri-state over the weekend as immigrant advocates advised those who feared being deported of their rights.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
from NBC New York - Top Stories https://ift.tt/2ShdbgF
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