Over recent times it was reported that at least 3 to 4 immigrant families in the Latino-infested neighborhood of Washington received early morning home visits from ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. A grandmother in one family was reported to have stated that she and other family members were asked to give photographs, eye scans and fingerprint scans and they were not even asked for permission, she said. Another person reported that her family too received a sudden early morning visit from ICE agents.

Many immigrant families have complained of sudden, unexpected home visits from immigration authorities. Can these encounters be termed as “raids”? One wonders, as the entry into the apartments of these families is largely interventional and no permission is sought from any of the members, before a raid is made.

In March it was announced by Department of Homeland Security that it had arrested more than 2000 convicted immigrants in a week-long raid. Many residents also claimed that agents called themselves “police” and just entered their houses, carrying a folder of pictures belonging to “criminal” immigrants. Once the fingerprinting and eye scanning process was done a red folder was pulled out and everyone was asked whether the persons in the pictures could be recognized.

Such acts that are usually attributed to the police is slowly but steadily eroding the trust that the immigrants, till now placed in the hands of the immigration authorities.