ICEd Out

When did the Land of 10,000 Lakes become the testing ground for federal anti-immigrant
sweeps? First, we had those horrible actions in Worthington last December (part of a national day o' raids). Last week, we had a big raid in Willmar (followed up this weekend with a vigil in St. Paul):

Agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, have arrested an unknown number of people in Willmar, Minn., today and Tuesday. A spokesman for the federal agency confirmed the arrests, but declined to give details.

“We are conducting an enforcement operation in Willmar,” said Tim Counts, ICE spokesman in Minnesota. He said his agency is targeting specific individuals suspected of criminal activities or backgrounds.

Other sources have indicated that the arrests may be related to ID theft or use of other documents. Counts declined to confirm, insisting that the arrests “are not random.”

I want to know where these raids are being planned and coordinated. Do they get thought up in Washington? Chicago? Minneapolis? And have they ever caught significant numbers of the "felons" whom they say they're after? And who doesn't think "ICE" sounds like the secret police in a crummy sci-fi novel?