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New report shows ICE agents were ordered to indiscriminately target immigrant communities in Baltimore in order to reach quota

By immigrationprof

We previously reported on allegations of ICE engaging in racial profiling in Baltimore.  Now, a new report from Casa de Maryland shows that in desperation to meet monthly quota, ICE agents arrested 24 Latinos at a 7-11 based solely on racial profiling.  According CASA de Maryland, ICE agents acknowledge open air raids in busy city centers were done to meet quota in an internal investigation released after a lawsuit was filed by CASA de Maryland. Further information from the report shows contradictory information from the sworn declarations of the agents involved in the 2007 raid in Baltimore. This release comes mere weeks after the release of explosive video footage of the same raid showing ICE agents gathering together Latino shoppers, day laborers, and pedestrians, while Caucasians and African-Americans are ignored. “This is the federal government, and these are agents who took an oath to uphold the Constitution,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland, the state largest advocacy group for immigrants’ rights. “Is this the America contemplated by our founders?” said Torres. Immediately after the raid, Senator Barbara Mikulski began an inquiry at federal level for an in depth investigation. After a Freedom of Information Act request was insufficiently responded to, CASA de Maryland filed litigation against the department and only recently received the report created in response to Senator Mikulski’s request. That report also reveals that information provided to Senator Ben Cardin’s office by ICE immediately after the raid was false. “Street raids to meet quotas are absolutely unbelievable. It will take time to reverse the Bush years and the abridgement of our constitutional rights, but I look forward to standing with CASA de Maryland, and my Latino and immigrant brothers and sisters to get it done” said June White-Dillard, NAACP Prince George’s County Branch President.

KJ