US govt conducts low-key operations to round up undocumented immigrants

WASHINGTON -- Despite having built up suspense for months, the US government's planned operations Sunday to evict about 2,000 undocumented immigrants were surprisingly low-key.

US media outlets cited government officials as saying that the raids had begun Sunday afternoon, but civil rights groups on the lookout said there have been little sighting of the anticipated raids in the target cities.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency tasked with enforcing immigration laws, previously listed 10 major cities as targets, namely Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans, but later said that New Orleans had been taken off the list due to Hurricane Barry.

The Wall Street Journal said ICE agents were rejected Saturday by residences in two New York neighborhoods after they failed to produce warrants. The agents reportedly did not return on Sunday.

"For the most part, it's quiet," Cara Yi, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said.

ICE officials have declined to share details of the operations, leaving the result of the operations murky.

The operations were an effort ordered by US President Donald Trump to crack down on undocumented immigrant staying in the country. ICE has said it would target those who have been ordered by courts to leave the country.

The operations have been widely criticized by Democrats and civil rights groups, who allege that the possible apprehensions may lead to rights violations.