After four Brazilian nationals were arrested by ICE in Northeast Philadelphia last week, the agency is reportedly changing the way it operates. NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville explains.
Fear is continuing to grip many with ICE raids hitting businesses in communities in the Philadelphia region and now the agency is reportedly changing its operations.
One of the most recent raids happened Thursday, Feb. 27 at Jumbo Meat Market on Castor Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia when four Brazilian nationals were arrested.
The agency told NBC10 that the workers who were taken into custody had no status to enter or remain legally in the United States.
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The owner's son would only say off camera that they are hard workers and are considered family at Jumbo Meat Market.
"By conducting these operations, we not only uphold the law but also protect the rights of legal workers and create a level playing field for businesses that comply with regulations," ICE wrote in a statement to NBC10.
An update from NBC News sources reveals that ICE agents are working on a new operation to arrest migrant families with children. Many without criminal backgrounds.
"They’re going after low hanging fruit, as we call it, easy catches, so people who are just going to school, going to work," immigration attorney Thomas Griffin said.
The nationwide crackdown would target adults and kids who entered the country together and have deportation orders, according to sources.
NBC10 reached out to ICE about any new potential operations surrounding families without criminal backgrounds. We have not yet heard back.
