Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has responded to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests across the country, sharing a statement against the widespread deportation effort which followed President Donald Trump's inauguration last week.
On Sunday, ICE arrested at least 956 people across the country, according to its statement on social media. On that same day, some people in Cilantro Taqueria in Cleveland Heights’s Coventry neighborhood were reportedly seen being arrested by ICE officers.
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Bibb addresses the incident in his statement, which you can read below and on his social media.
Arresting immigrants working in a suburban restaurant does not make us safer.
Targeting schools, hospitals and places of worship is obscene.
Immigrants are human beings. They have elevated our home by contributing their talents and cultures here. They support our economy. They attend our churches. They are our neighbors. Immigrants have been integral to our city's story for generations.
My administration will not engage in the deportation of individuals who have not committed violent crimes.
No law requires that we do so.
Cleveland police are tasked with protecting public safety, and while we will take action against anybody who commits violent crimes, we are not enforcing general federal immigration law. Our police are not here to play politics or be used as a tool for fear.
The federal government should prioritize their law enforcement resources where they are most needed: combating violent crime and promoting safety across all communities. We stand ready to support federal efforts to combat human trafficking, drug trafficking, gun trafficking — any number of offenses that may involve international actors.
Along with his statement, Bibb shared resources, linking to Northeast Ohio organizations like Cuyahoga County Welcome Center, Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, Global Cleveland, Legal Aid Cleveland and Re:Source Cleveland.
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