Reports of SA man arrested in US as eSwatini welcomes immigrants deported from US
A South African man is reportedly among those arrested during a raid by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
On Monday, a verified X account of ICE Denver announced the arrest of the 37-year-old man. He is accused of driving under the influence (DUI), using a weapon to commit a felony, and terroristic threats.
'He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings,' said ICE Denver.
While social media users say his detention disproves claims that only black people are being targeted for deportation, some South Africans said they did not want him back.
ICE raids
According to AFP, the raids are a promise being fulfilled by US President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
'He has taken several actions aimed at accelerating deportations and reducing border crossings,' reports the news agency.
ALSO READ: Trump tariffs unsettle SA farmers as Africa eyes agricultural growth
In June alone, ICE agents arrested at least 1 361 illegal immigrants in the Houston area who have been charged with, or have been convicted of, a criminal offence after illegally entering the US.
According to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez on Monday, among those arrested were 32 convicted of child sex offences, nine convicted for homicide-related offences, 16 documented members of a transnational gang or drug cartel, and one convicted for hijacking an aeroplane on its way to Key West from Cuba.
'The number of dangerous criminal aliens that they removed from local communities across Southeast Texas last month is just another example of their selfless and unyielding efforts to return our local communities to places where we can all raise our families without having to worry about child predators, gang members, or other violent criminal aliens preying on our loved ones,' said Martinez in a statement.
ALSO READ: Trump's new 30% tariff less about trade and more about power
On Thursday, 10 July, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a cannabis farm in Ventura County outside Los Angeles.
About 200 migrants were detained, and clashes erupted with protesters. One worker, being chased by ICE agents, fell from the roof of a greenhouse and died on Saturday.
US deportees land in Swaziland
Meanwhile, the US Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that a flight carrying immigrants deported from the US had landed in eSwatini.
'Today, DHS conducted a third-country deportation flight to eSwatini. These criminal illegal aliens are so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,' announced the department on social media.
ALSO READ: Why South Africa must act fast after Trump's tariff blow
'Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, we are removing these convicted criminals from our soil so they can never hurt another American victim.'
The department deported five men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen.
They were convicted of child rape, murder, robbery, second-degree homicide and assault, among other crimes.
This comes after the US Supreme Court in June paved the way for the Trump administration to resume deportations of undocumented migrants to countries that are not their own.
Additional reporting by AFP
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