U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a reminder in the wake of the school mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, today that “sites that provide emergency response and relief are considered protected areas.”
“To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities in protected areas such as along evacuation routes, sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, or registration sites for disaster-related assistance or the reunification of families and loved ones,” the agencies said in a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security.
“ICE and CBP provide emergency assistance to individuals regardless of their immigration status. DHS officials do not and will not pose as individuals providing emergency-related information as part of any enforcement activities.”
The statement declared that the “site of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas is a protected area.”
“To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP will not conduct immigration enforcement activities there so that individuals, regardless of immigration status, can seek assistance, reunify with family and loved ones, and otherwise address the tragedy that occurred.”
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