MESA, AZ- A Homeland Security Investigations operation located approximately one mile from two active polling locations set local radical pro-illegal alien zealots into a frenzy earlier this week with claims that the operation amounted to “voter intimidation” even though it was nearly one-half mile away.
Recall that Democrats have repeatedly claimed that illegal aliens are not voting so one might think an ICE operation a half mile away from a polling location would be inconsequential.
Fox 10 Phoenix reported that on Nov. 3, special agents affiliated with HSI carried out an enforcement action as part of an active criminal investigation.
In response to questioning by Fox 10, Fernando Burgos, a public affairs officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said HSI was conducting a targeted enforcement effort.
“Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted a targeted operation that resulted in the arrests of five illegal aliens,” Burgos told the outlet. “These arrests are part of an ongoing criminal investigation.”
The effort took place at a supermarket located about a half mile from a voting location at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and just under a mile from a second polling site at the Progressive Baptist Church.
As expected, pro-illegal alien NGOs condemned the operation, including the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus and Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders for equity, referring to it as an “immigration raid” that resulted in between six and eight arrests.
“This took place less than a mile away from two polling sites,” the two groups whined in a joint statement issued under the campaign banner “This is Our Mesa! Keep ICE Out of Our Streets!” Catchy.
“For the last year, the Trump administration has threatened communities across the nation with ICE’s presence at the polls. This action is a direct attack on immigrant communities and sends a message of intimidation for voters and residents of Mesa.”
The groups attempted to claim that the operation was meant to stifle voter turnout, despite the location being out of eyesight of the polling locations, where illegal aliens are not supposed to be in the first place.
“Mesa voters have the right to vote without fear of ICE’s interference and intimidation,” the statement continued. “We demand accountability from ICE and the City of Mesa on why this raid occurred on Election Day.”
You can bet safely on Kalshi that neither ICE nor the federal government will be addressing their complaint any time soon.
The two groups also asked the Mesa City Council to terminate its 287(g) Jail Enforcement agreement with ICE, an agreement that has been in place since 2009 and which allows Mesa police officers to check a suspect’s immigration status after an arrest.
The Mesa Police Department, meanwhile, disputes the claim that local police officers assisted ICE by coordinating or assisting with the arrests.
“The Mesa Police Department was notified that HSI was in the city today,” Detective Jose Aguirre said. “There was no other contact with HSI, nor did [the] PD provide operational support to their activity.”
Police officials said the public can review the city’s immigration transparency page, which reiterates the department’s policy emphasizing the agency does not enforce federal civil immigration law.
The names, ages, or nationalities of the five illegal aliens arrested were not released. ICE refused to disclose the criminal allegations at the core of the investigation and said that “no additional information is available for release at this time.”
In July between the 25th and 31st, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related charges against 216 individuals, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
The DOJ filed 106 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, while 98 other illegal aliens were charged with illegally entering the United States. The DOJ also filed cases against 12 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
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