Ice goals without papers immigrants with criminal records in nationwide arrest operations

A nationwide effort is underway through immigration and customs authority (ICE) to aim at undocumented immigrants with a criminal register, such as the operation that took place in Coachella this week. ICE agents emphasize that these actions are not raids or sweeps, but instead concentrate on people with serious crime history and undocumented status.

Alondra Campos reports that, according to federal agents, the main goal of these operations is to prioritize the detention of people with a criminal register, regardless of when the crime was committed. These operations also include people who are detained because ICE agents confirm their legal status as part of grids.

The immigration lawyer Alex Galvez spoke to us to bring more light into the process. He explained that ICE usually focuses on people who had earlier interactions with law enforcement authorities, in particular in those who are involved in crimes such as domestic violence, minor theft, DUI crimes, drug ownership for personal use and assault. These people are often placed in the deportation procedure after the detention.

ICE's prison statistics show that in 2024 more than 70,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions were arrested and over 68,000 of them were deported.

After the detention, individuals can request a hearing from an immigration judge. Galvez emphasized that detainees should not sign voluntary departure forms and pursue hearings if they are justified. The hearing, which usually takes place within a few weeks, determines whether the person is a mandatory prisoner or whether they have a bond for a bond.

Even in cases where someone has a prior deportation order, there may be options for reopening the case if new forms of relief are available. Galvez advised that submitting a reopening application before being deported could prevent the order from being reinstated.

Legal experts also point to the considerable deficit in the US court system with around 3 million immigration cases that can cause delays in these procedures – sometimes.

While ICE continues his operations, the process for people who are detained in these arrests remains complex, and many are still looking for legal options to delay or prevent deportations.