Acting ICE director to Oakland mayor: 'We're not going away'

Politico

By Ayanna Alexander

February 28, 2018

Acting ICE director to Oakland mayor: 'We're not going away'

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director has a message for the Oakland mayor who warned residents of an immigration raid: “We’re not going away.”

Acting ICE director Thomas Homan told Fox News Wednesday morning that the organization will still enforce the law, despite Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s warning of the Northern California ICE operation.

“I’ll say this to the mayor and every other politician that wants to vilify the men and women of ICE: We’re not going away, we’re going to keep enforcing the law,” Homan said.

Schaaf issued an alert last Saturday after she learned of impending immigration raids set to take place Sunday.

“Earlier today, I learned from multiple credible sources that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to conduct an operation in the Bay Area, including Oakland, starting as soon as within the next 24 hours,” she said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday. “As Mayor of Oakland, I am sharing this information publicly not to panic our residents but to protect them.”

Homan was among a few law enforcement officials who weren’t pleased with Schaaf’s alert. While ICE arrested more than 150 people, Homan also highlighted that failed to locate at least 800 arrests due to Schaaf’s warning.

“Being a law enforcement officer is already dangerous enough, but to give the criminals a heads up that we’re coming in the next 24 hours, increases that risk,” he said. “I watch her statement when she said her priority is the safety of her community, but what she did has the exact opposite effect.”

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