U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 39 Somali nationals this week, including 36 with criminal histories, despite Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar claiming that the deportations would put people at risk.
ICE announced the deportations in a letter to Omar Friday, saying the agency should be applauded for removing the 39 individuals accused of various crimes including murder, rape, domestic violence, sexual assault, drug trafficking and conspiring with foreign terrorists, per the letter.
Omar criticized the proceedings prior to the deportations taking place, tweeting Sept. 12 that the deportations were dangerous due to COVID-19 concerns.
“ICE is set to deport dozens of individuals from my district to Somalia, risking the spread of COVID. ICE’s actions will not only put these individuals at risk, but could have far-reaching consequences for Somalia,” she said.
Omar, who was born in Somalia, has called for the abolishment of ICE and was one of 14 Democrats who called for ICE to stop deportations in March due to the coronavirus, claiming it was dangerous to send the individuals back to their country of origin.
“For detainees who are immunocompromised or otherwise susceptible to the worst consequences of contracting COVID-19, holding them in detention may be literally a matter of life and death,” the Democrats wrote in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf.
“Deporting people who may have been exposed to coronavirus to either countries that have few or no cases or to continue with weak health care infrastructure is an unacceptable risk to take,” the letter continued. “Many countries, including the United States, are implementing strict border controls during this pandemic, and we should make no exception for ICE Air and deportations.”
However, ICE reassured Omar in their letter that they do not “remove aliens who are not fit for travel, which includes any detainee confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19.” The letter stated ICE conducted pre-flight screenings for individuals that includes temperature checking.
Rep. Omar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller.
*story by The Daily Caller