The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reports that Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo met Tuesday with HSI officials and reiterated that municipal police and city agencies will not participate in or support immigration enforcement operations
- According to Metro Puerto Rico the mayor requested direct contact with Enforcement and Removal Operations in Miami a notification mechanism for affected families and a written breakdown of detentions
- Listín Diario reported that ICE intensified operations over the previous weekend in San Juan communities including Río Piedras Barrio Obrero and Santurce with six detentions noted in local media
- Listín Diario states the ACLU of Puerto Rico condemned the operations citing concerns over possible warrantless arrests intimidation family separations and the sharing of immigrant data
Meeting With Federal Officials
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo met Tuesday with Rebecca González Ramos and her team from Homeland Security Investigations in Puerto Rico. Metro Puerto Rico reported that he reiterated the municipal police and city agencies will not participate in or support immigration enforcement operations.
During the meeting Romero Lugo questioned procedures used in recent interventions in several San Juan communities. Metro Puerto Rico reported that officials told him the operations were carried out by Enforcement and Removal Operations based in Miami Florida. The mayor then requested direct contact with that unit and a notification mechanism so the municipal Office of Assistance to Immigrants can aid affected families.
Also on PuertoRico.com: San Juan travel guide
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
El respeto a las garantías constitucionales no es opcional.
Our translation: Respect for constitutional guarantees is not optional.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Requests for Information
According to Metro Puerto Rico Romero Lugo asked for a breakdown of people detained the legal basis for the interventions and how many were released after their immigration status was verified. He also requested a distinction between individuals with criminal records or charged with crimes and those stopped solely on immigration matters.
The mayor demanded a written response to a letter he sent the previous week and that authorities address concerns about possible actions contrary to law. He stated that the municipality will continue cooperating with federal agencies on criminality and public safety issues that do not involve immigration enforcement.
Operations and Community Concerns
Listín Diario reported that ICE intensified immigration operations during the previous weekend in San Juan communities including Río Piedras Barrio Obrero and Santurce which has a significant Dominican population. Local media reported six detentions in Santurce and Río Piedras though no official breakdown by date or nationality was released.
The operations reportedly ran from Thursday according to Listín Diario. The ACLU of Puerto Rico condemned the deployment citing concerns about possible arrests without judicial orders intimidation and family separations. The organization stated that people have a constitutional right to document authorities' actions.
Where the sources differ
Both sources agree that federal immigration operations occurred in San Juan communities and that the mayor opposes municipal participation in them. Metro Puerto Rico focuses on the Tuesday meeting between Romero Lugo and HSI officials his specific information requests and his statements about constitutional obligations. Listín Diario reports on the timing and locations of the operations six reported detentions community concerns and the ACLU of Puerto Rico's condemnation including alleged data sharing by the Puerto Rico government. Metro Puerto Rico attributes the operations to ERO based on what officials told the mayor while Listín Diario attributes them to ICE generally without naming ERO or confirming exact Sunday figures.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many people were ultimately detained how many were released or their nationalities. They provide no official ICE or ERO response to the mayor's requests no details on specific legal bases for each intervention and no comment from the Puerto Rico government on the ACLU's accusation of sharing data on more than 6,000 immigrants. Next steps for the mayor's written demands or any changes in federal notification practices are also unaddressed.
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 San Juan reitera que no apoyará operativos migratorios
- Reporting ICE intensifica operativos migratorios en Puerto Rico
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico provided details on the mayor's meeting and requests while Listín Diario covered the operations themselves and the ACLU response. The exact number of detentions the role of ERO versus ICE overall and any official reply to the mayor's letter rest on single sources.
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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