Democratic leaders escalate anti-ICE efforts with online ICE tracker

Democrats are ramping up their confrontation with ICE, with one member of Congress announcing plans to run a “tracker” to reveal officers’ actions and the New York attorney general setting up a tip line for leads to investigate agency operations.

Letitia James said she wants New Yorkers to turn over videos of what they witnessed this week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel swept through Chinatown.

Meanwhile, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced plans to host a “master ICE tracker” tool on the committee website. The tracker would allow people to report agency movements and operations nationwide.

“American citizens are being dragged off the streets by masked men and thrown into detention cells without access to a lawyer or even a phone call,” he said. “Every person in this country has rights, and DHS must stop trampling on our civil liberties.”

Republicans are fighting back.

Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the House Administration Committee, which oversees all House websites, said he wouldn’t allow Mr. Garcia’s tracking tool on the chamber’s systems.

The Department of Homeland Security suggested that Ms. James’ effort could cross legal lines.

“This sure looks like obstruction of justice,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Our brave ICE law enforcement face a 1,000% increase in assaults against them. If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Ms. James announced her “federal action reporting form” Wednesday, a day after ICE personnel conducted what they described as a targeted enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City.

Although it was aimed at street vendors’ counterfeit goods, government officials said some illegal immigrants were taken into custody.

Officers from ICE deportation operations and agents from its Homeland Security Investigations division rolled up in heavy trucks and vans wearing body armor.

A crowd of protesters quickly gathered, and the situation became unruly. The Homeland Security Department said “rioters” became violent and attempted to hinder ICE’s operations.

One person was arrested on a charge of assaulting an officer, local news accounts said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, encouraged the resistance. She urged New Yorkers to make it “as hard as possible” for ICE, said Migrant Insider.

“When you see them, blow the whistle,” she said.

Ms. James, meanwhile, asked residents to send videos and other “documentation” of the events.

“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” she said. “If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”

Earlier this month, the Justice Department indicted Ms. James on charges of falsifying a mortgage application.

Tensions over ICE have exploded as the agency moves to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation goals.

Democrats have vilified ICE, and some top party officials have compared the agency to a Nazi operation or labeled it “secret police” as officers attempt to arrest and deport people in the U.S. without a legal visa.

Mr. Garcia said he wanted to give the members of the public a chance to share what they see in ICE enforcement operations. He said he would post “every single instance that we can verify.”

Mr. Steil said Mr. Garcia won’t be able to use the committee’s website.

“The House of Representatives absolutely will not maintain a website that tracks or doxes ICE agents,” he said.

Mr. Garcia defended his tracker idea as part of a broader investigation into ICE efforts under Mr. Trump.

He pointed to a report by ProPublica that identified more than 170 cases in which Homeland Security agents and officers have detained U.S. citizens during immigration enforcement efforts. Most of those were Americans suspected of interfering with ICE arrests, though ProPublica said the evidence is often flimsy.

The outlet said it found Americans in about 50 cases who were detained while their citizenship status was being ascertained.

“American citizens are being dragged off the streets by masked men and thrown into detention cells without access to a lawyer or even a phone call,” said Mr. Garcia. “Every person in this country has rights, and DHS must stop trampling on our civil liberties.”

Mr. Garcia announced his plans for the ICE tracker at a press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. In June, Los Angeles was the scene of the first major ICE enforcement surge.

Mr. Garcia said he and Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs permanent subcommittee on investigations, are teaming up on a project to track complaints about ICE behavior in Los Angeles.