The short version
- El Nuevo Día reported that Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo asked HSI to notify his administration of immigration operations in San Juan so the Municipal Office of Immigrant Assistance can provide legal and social support to those detained and their families
- El Vocero reported that Romero requested a direct contact with ERO in Miami to channel citizen complaints and follow up on situations affecting San Juan residents
- El Nuevo Día reported that Romero received positive feedback from HSI indicating operations are documented after legal review and that he also requested updated data on interventions on the island
- El Nuevo Día and El Vocero reported that HSI's Rebecca González Ramos said the agency did not participate in reported interventions at a Río Piedras church or a school in San Germán
Meeting Follows Complaints About Recent Operations
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo met Tuesday with Rebecca González Ramos, director of the Homeland Security Investigations office in San Juan, to request prior notification of immigration enforcement operations in the capital. El Nuevo Día reported that the mayor wants personnel from the Municipal Office of Assistance to the Immigrant to be present to offer legal and social assistance to detainees and their families, rather than involving the Municipal Police.
The meeting followed a letter Romero sent last week requesting an administrative investigation into recent raids. El Nuevo Día reported that complaints included the use of intimidation, long weapons, entry into churches and violent acts. The operations took place over the weekend of Oct. 22-25 and were directed by Enforcement and Removal Operations in Miami, which sent agents from Florida. They targeted immigrants in Barrio Obrero, Villa Palmeras in Santurce and the center of Río Piedras, according to El Nuevo Día.
El Vocero reported that Romero reiterated the need for federal authority to be exercised with respect for human dignity and the constitutional rights of all persons.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Las escuelas, los hospitales y las iglesias están consideradas como ‘sensitive locations’, que son ubicaciones sensitivas. Nosotros respetamos esa ubicación sensitiva. Si ha habido alguna intervención en una iglesia, en un hospital o en una escuela, es porque han habido individuos que han corrido hacia esa periferia
Our translation: Schools, hospitals and churches are considered 'sensitive locations.' We respect that sensitive location. If there has been any intervention in a church, hospital or school, it is because individuals have run toward that periphery.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Requests for Communication and Data
According to both El Nuevo Día and El Vocero, Romero asked that a written response be provided to his letter and that detailed information be shared on arrests, including the number of people detained, the basis for interventions, how many were released after status verification, and a distinction between those with criminal records and those detained solely on immigration status. El Vocero reported that Romero said such data is necessary to understand the scope of the operations and their impact on communities.
El Vocero reported that the mayor instructed the Municipal Police and other city agencies not to participate in or provide support for immigration control operations, while maintaining willingness to collaborate with federal agencies on criminality and public safety matters that do not involve such operations. El Nuevo Día reported that González Ramos said the meeting was good and that HSI maintains open communication with the mayor as an ally in criminal investigations.
Where the sources differ
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero agree that Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo met with HSI's Rebecca González Ramos on Tuesday, requested prior notification of operations to allow municipal immigrant assistance, asked for a direct ERO contact, sought a written response to his letter, and instructed municipal police not to participate in immigration enforcement. El Nuevo Día provides more detail on the Oct. 22-25 operations in specific San Juan neighborhoods, the mayor's quotes about family assistance, and González Ramos's comments on sensitive locations, the church and school incidents, and license data obtained via subpoena. El Vocero includes more of Romero's written statements on respecting rights and the need for detailed arrest data distinguishing criminal and immigration-only cases, plus his emphasis on anguish for families of detainees. Both name the same officials and agencies but attribute some descriptive quotes differently.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many people were arrested during the October operations, how many were released, or the specific outcomes for detainees and their families. They do not indicate whether HSI or ERO agreed to provide prior notification of future operations in San Juan or share the detailed data requested. The sources also do not specify what, if any, administrative investigation will occur into the complaints about tactics or if a direct ERO contact has been designated.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Miguel Romero pide que le notifiquen sobre redadas migratorias en San Juan para ofrecer asistencia a detenidos
- Official Miguel Romero pide que le notifiquen sobre redadas migratorias en San Juan para ofrecer asistencia a detenidos
- Reporting Miguel Romero pide que le notifiquen sobre redadas migratorias en San Juan para ofrecer asistencia a detenidos
- Reporting Miguel Romero solicita al HSI detalles sobre intervenciones migratorias en San Juan
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and El Vocero both reported on the meeting between Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo and HSI's Rebecca González Ramos and the requests for notification and information. Details on the specific neighborhoods targeted, the church incident and González Ramos's explanations about sensitive locations rest solely on El Nuevo Día. Romero's written statements on rights and family anguish appear only in El Vocero.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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