HOUSTON – Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved forward last weekend with an operation targeting migrant families with court-ordered removals that had previously been called off by President Donald Trump.
ICE, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, is charged, in part, with deporting undocumented immigrants.
What we know
Houston has 600,000 undocumented immigrants.
ICE planned to target 2,000 undocumented immigrants in the 10 cities where the raids are underway.
ICE said its plan was to focus on apprehending violent criminals and felons.
What happened in Houston?
According to Cesar Espinoza, the director of Immigrant Families and Students in the Struggle, immigration agents were seen going door-to-door at the El Paraiso Apartments in Southwest Houston early Monday morning.
Kaylin Garcia said she took a picture after seeing a group of four people knocking on apartment doors.
"They were banging on my neighbors' doors a lot of times. They were, like, 'Open the door, open the door,'” Garcia said.
"Shortly thereafter, we began to get community reports that immigration was in unmarked vehicles around the southwest area,” Espinoza said.
Was anyone taken into custody?
Garcia said she didn't see anyone being taken into custody, but according to Espinoza, there were several.
"We have confirmed that there are multiple people who have been picked up here at this location,” Espinoza said.
The nature of the alleged visits aren’t known and ICE officials wouldn't confirm with KPRC if anyone was taken into custody.
ICE officials provided a statement on alleged immigration enforcement in Houston, saying in part, “the agency will not offer specific details related to enforcement operations.”
Details of what happened remain unclear, but Garcia said the experience was unnerving.
“I got scared because I was, like, 'I don’t know what could happen,'" Garcia said.