WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Did ICE check immigration status of El Paso shooting survivors?
ANSWER:
No, ICE does not conduct immigration status enforcement operations during tragedies and at sensitive locations that include schools, hospitals and churches.
SOURCES:
- ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations
- Ice.gov
- Customs Border Patrol
PROCESS:
Our Verify team continues tackling rumors circulating after the El Paso and Dayton shootings, like this Facebook post.
It claims after the Texas shooting, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement showed up at the school, MacArthur Elementary, where families were reuniting to check immigration statuses.
So, with over 23,000 shares, is this claim legit?
To find out, Verify researchers first checked ICE's enforcement policy.
According to ICE there are exigent circumstances, enforcement action does not take place at sensitive locations such as schools, churches, religious or civil ceremonies.
A public demonstration, such as a march, rally, or parade is also considered a sensitive location.
ICE also tweeted they do not conduct immigration enforcement operations during tragedies.
Both ICE and Customs and Border Patrol says officers and agents were on site assisting police and giving aid, but no enforcement took place after the horrific event.
So, we can verify this viral post claiming ICE was checking immigration status after the mass shooting in El Paso is false.
If you see ICE enforcement action take place at a sensitive location that violates the policy, you can file a complaint by contacting ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations through the Detention Reporting and Information Line at (888) 351-4024 or by emailing ERO.INFO@ice.dhs.gov.
Click here to file a complaint online.