ICE arrests surge in Pacific Northwest after Trump raises quotas
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Arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surged in the Pacific Northwest in June, newly obtained data shows.
Why it matters: The numbers illustrate a major shift that came soon after the Trump administration tripled ICE's arrest quota.
By the numbers: People without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 53% of daily ICE arrests in the Seattle Area of Responsibility, which covers Oregon, Washington and Alaska, in early June.
- That's up from about 28% in April, before the quota increase.
- The average number of daily arrests for those with charges or convictions also increased in early June, but not to the same degree.
How it works: That's according to agency data obtained by the UC Berkeley School of Law's Deportation Data Project via Freedom of Information Act requests, and based on seven-day trailing averages.
Zoom in: Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old Iranian-born chiropractor, was taken into custody by ICE while he was driving his child to Guidepost Montessori school in Beaverton on July 15, according to OPB.
- Video published by OPB shows ICE agents breaking the window of the vehicle to arrest Khanbabazadeh after he dropped off his child at the school.
- ICE told OPB that Khanbabazadeh had overstayed a student visa, but he is married to a U.S. citizen. "The couple had recently completed an interview with immigration authorities and were awaiting final approval on a green card," OPB reported.
- The arrest took place in front of the school and forced the facility into a "soft lockdown," per OPB, and Khanbabazadeh remained in ICE custody as of Monday.
What they're saying: "This terrifying use of force has nothing to do with our safety," Gov. Tina Kotek said of Khanbabazadeh's arrest in a Facebook post.
- "It's about sowing fear and chaos, especially at places that have traditionally been off limits to immigration activities."
The other side: Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin disputed reports that ICE isn't targeting criminal immigrants, telling Axios by email that some people labeled "non-criminals" are "actually terrorists, human rights abusers or gang members — they just lack a U.S. criminal record."
Context: Being in the U.S. illegally is a civil, not criminal, violation.
What's next: Trump's plan to deport millions of immigrants likely will depend not on removing criminals, but on telling people who are in the U.S. legally that they're no longer welcome, Axios' Russell Contreras and Brittany Gibson write.