‘Horrific’: ICE detains 15 migrants at routine appointments

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained 16 migrants from Southeast Asian communities that historically allied with the U.S. during the Vietnam War. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the arrests took place in Detroit, describing the migrants as individuals with criminal records in a statement, Knewz.com has learned.

DHS shares a statement about the arrests

The Department of Homeland Security has shared a statement regarding the arrests, saying, “This operation resulted in the arrest of multiple criminal illegal aliens, including child s** abusers, drug traffickers, a known gang member who obstructed a murder investigation, and other Laotian nationals with extensive criminal histories.” ICE officials added that the detainees had been ordered removed by immigration judges over the years, but deportations had been delayed until travel documents were secured from the Laotian government. It has been reported that 15 of the migrants were arrested when they reported for routine appointments at the Detroit ICE field office. Another was taken into custody at his workplace in Lansing. The group was first transferred to a detention center in northern Michigan before being sent to facilities in Louisiana and Texas.

Many of the detainees belong to the Hmong community

Many of the detained migrants reportedly belong to the Hmong community, an ethnic group from Laos and surrounding regions. During the Vietnam War and related conflicts in Laos, the CIA recruited Hmong fighters to support U.S. efforts against Communist forces. After the war, thousands of Hmong families resettled in the U.S. as refugees, citing fear of persecution in their home country. Some of those now facing deportation have lived in the U.S. for decades. It was previously reported that Pang Nhia Hang Bailey, a mother of four who has lived in the country for more than 40 years, was among those detained. State Representative Mai Xiong, Michigan’s first Hmong American legislator, said in a Facebook video that many detainees had never been to Laos, having been born in refugee camps in other countries, or had been brought to the U.S. as children.

Families of detainees speak out against the ICE arrests

Relatives and advocates have criticized the arrests as unfair and disruptive to families. At a news conference, a statement from Maiyia Xiong, whose husband Wa Kong Lor was detained, was read aloud. “This appeared to be a targeted operation, an easy way for ICE officers to detain people without going to their homes. My husband, like many others that day, was taken without warning,” the statement said. Sufeng Yang, another detainee, arrived in the U.S. as a child with his mother. His daughter, Anissa Lee, told the Detroit Free Press that he arrived “seeking safety and a better life after the war.” She added, “He was raised here. He was educated here, and he built his life here. The United States is all he’s ever known. It’s his only home. He’s not just a resident here. He’s a taxpayer, a provider, a father and a caregiver.”

Department of Homeland Security defends the arrests

The Department of Homeland Security defended the operation in a statement, saying, “Secretary [Kristi] Noem has unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst—including gang members, murderers and r******. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.” A group of 27 Michigan lawmakers signed a letter calling on ICE’s Detroit field office to release the detainees immediately. State Representative Donavan McKinney said at a news conference, “It’s cruel, it’s wrong, it’s unjust and it must end. We are calling for their release. Families belong together, not torn apart in secrecy. We also call for transparency and accountability so these horrific events stop happening.”

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