Immigration

Video shows ICE enforcement in Silver Spring, Takoma Park

Immigration agents apprehended 12 people before noon Monday

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Video from the Associated Press shows a dozen immigration agents wearing body armor and armed with handguns track suspects in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, Maryland, before dawn Monday.

A dozen immigration agents wearing body armor and armed with handguns tracked suspects in Silver Spring and Takoma Park, Maryland, before dawn Monday, video from the Associated Press shows.

The AP recorded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on an operation as President Donald Trump rolls out sweeping efforts to crack down on immigration, getting a glimpse of how their work has changed under an administration intent on deporting large numbers of immigrants alleged to be living in the U.S. illegally.

Video shows ICE agents knocking on doors in apartment buildings and arresting suspects. Four ICE teams based in Baltimore searched for suspects, including one wanted in a child pornography case, one drug dealer, one armed robber and one wanted for a murder in El Salvador, ICE Field Office Director Matthew Elliston said.

Elliston said ICE only does targeted operations in which they search for particular suspects.

“We do not do raids. We do not do dragnets. We do not do sweeps. That is not something ICE has ever done,” he said. “We do targeted enforcement, but a part of that targeted enforcement – if I'm going for an MS-13 gang member and I see someone next to him has a big 13 on their face, I'm going to start asking that person questions.”

The group of immigration agents apprehended 12 people before noon Monday but still did not reach all of their targets. Elliston said his office will continue searching for suspects.

“We will constantly be out looking for them, especially these egregious public safety cases. The looking for these guys will never stop,” he said.

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