President Trump delays ICE Raids at request of Majority House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

ByAnser Hassan KGO logo
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Pres. Trump delays ICE Raids at request of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
President Trump has postponed planned ICE raids scheduled for 10 major US cities, including San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- President Trump has postponed Sunday's planned ICE raids scheduled for 10 major US cities, including San Francisco. It's being delayed for two weeks.



Known as "Family Op," the predawn raids targeted up to 2,000 families facing deportation orders.



"Yes, you have to follow the law. But, I think the (raids are) not the right way. And, the consequences are not going to be good," says San Francisco resident Michael Woo.



Woo's support of the postponement seems to be a common sentiment throughout San Francisco, a so-call sanctuary city.



ABC News has learned that Trump postponed the raids after getting a call from San Francisco democrat and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.



RELATED: ICE RAID RIGHTS: What you need to know



"The 'deportation raids,' as you call them, are really a group of very, very good law enforcement people," said the president on Saturday morning. "They came into our country illegally and we're taking them out legally. We're bringing them back to their country."



But Dr. George Bisharat, professor emeritus at UC Hastings College of the Law, says the president is being hypocritical.



"Let's remember that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was shafted, was excoriated, for giving notice to people of impending ICE raids, a while back. And now the president has done this," says Dr. Bisharat.



He thinks postponing the raids at the request of the democrats is an attempt by Trump to increase his bargaining power by putting the onus on the democrats.



"You guys now work it out and if you don't, then what I have to do, subsequently, like deport a bunch of people, it's your fault," says Dr. Bisharat, describing the president's possible actions.



RELATED: Gov. Newsom, Bay Area leaders respond to proposed ICE Raids in SF, other major cities



In a statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed says the raids are designed to, "inflict as much fear and pain as possible."



But in an interview with ABC News, Acting ICE Director, Mark Morgan says: "This is not about fear. No one is instilling fear in anyone. This is about the rule of law and maintaining the integrity of the system."



Some political analysts suggest that advanced warning put the raids in jeopardy, and potentially put ICE officers are risk.



In addition, local republican leaders add that the raids only target people who violated court order.



"Remember, the people... that are being targeted here, are people who have already received summons, have an order to report and have ignored the summons," says Howard Epstein with the San Francisco Republican Party.



Many also point to the fact that President Trump has deported fewer migrants than President Obama did in his early years.



Even though "Family Op" is being postponed, ICE officers will continue their ongoing operations across the country.

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