ICE raids targeting 2,000 migrant families slated to start in pre-dawn hours Sunday

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents plan to begin rounding up as many as 2,000 migrant families nationwide for deportation beginning early Sunday morning, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Three federal officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said what was being referred to as the large-scale “Family Op” would likely start with a series of pre-dawn Sunday raids in cities considered to be major immigration destinations. Additional raids would be carried out over a several day period.

The sources told the newspaper that cities targeted were expected to include Houston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles as well as others. Although El Paso was not specifically mentioned, it would fit as a city that is a large migrant destination.

The chief of the Los Angeles Police Department said he was notified by ICE of plans to make nearly 150 immigration arrests in his city. LAPD Chief Michael Moore told the Los Angeles Times that local police would not be participating in the raids and expressed concern about the federal operation.

“We are not an extension of ICE, a person’s immigration status is not a police matter,” he said. “We know how unsettling and scary this is for the community. I do worry about the intimidation it can create,” Moore said.

There was no immediate word from police in El Paso or Las Cruces whether they had received ICE notifications about raids in either community. ABC-7 made requests to both departments for comment.

Planning for the massive migrant roundup was taking place on Friday with ICE, the Department of Homeland and the White House all involved in the discussions, The Post reported. ICE agents and equipment were being readied for the operation.

President Trump signaled earlier this week that his administration would soon be targeting migrant families who had received deportation orders. On Monday, the president tweeted that massive immigration raids were coming “next week.”