MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Immigration attorneys in the Twin Cities metro say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still making frequent arrests in Minnesota, but the tactics look a lot different now.
ICE activity stays active at MSP
Almost a year after Operation Metro Surge began, ICE operations are still going on in Minnesota. On Friday, about a dozen detainees boarded an immigration flight out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and about a dozen deplaned there, potentially headed to the now-open ICE detention center in Appleton.
What they're saying:
Multiple attorneys tell FOX 9 it's a shift away from roving patrols in public spaces and toward tactics that are more subtle.
"It's just a lot quieter," said David Wilson, an immigration attorney.
Applications and appointments raise concerns
Wilson says ICE is detaining, and sometimes targeting, people without status who have pending cases for permanent residency. He says ICE is using those applications to track people down.
Wilson shared a copy of a letter he says ICE has started sending to people without status, telling them to arrive at an ICE office for a "Case review and interview."
Why you should care:
"Especially for people who have been engaged in the system. Trying to follow the law and do something to resolve their status...they need to share that data, but that data can also be used against them to make them easy to find," Wilson said.
The letter says, "This appointment is not a date for your departure from the United States."
Wilson says his clients were detained and put in proceedings anyway.
Airport arrests keep attorneys on alert
Paschal Nwokocha says his clients are getting swept up the same way. He also says he has noticed more frequent ICE arrests at airports around the country.
Local perspective:
"A month ago, we had a family traveling from Georgia to Minneapolis. They have had asylum cases pending for a couple of years," said Nwokocha.
Nwokocha says ICE detained that family after they landed at MSP.
What you can do:
The attorneys encourage clients to have a plan. They say a family member or friend should know their location before they head into an ICE appointment, and they suggest getting to know an attorney ahead of time so a court petition can be filed quickly if needed.
The Source: This story uses reporting from FOX 9's Emily Pofahl and interviews with immigration attorneys David Wilson and Paschal Nwokocha.