Immigration arrests, deportations likely to continue under government shutdown

Immigration arrests, hearings and deportations would likely continue through a government shutdown this week, pressing forward President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda even as other federal operations come to a halt.

Federal immigration officers are considered essential employees and are required to work unpaid through a temporary funding shutdown.

Congressional leaders have so far failed to approve a spending bill for federal agencies. Democrats are withholding their votes to win concessions on expanded health care access. Republicans have not budged on their demands and are pushing for temporary funding that would allow negotiations to continue through November.

Federal lawmakers have until midnight Oct. 1 to strike a deal. If they can’t, hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed ― or possibly fired.

How will the government shutdown affect ICE, Border Patrol?

The potential shutdown comes on the heels of a recent job fair that set out to bolster a new wave of immigration enforcement by recruiting 10,000 ICE agents. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offered $50,000 signing bonuses to prospective candidates.

Most ICE officers, including those recently onboarded, will be required to work throughout the government shutdown. A Sept. 27 contingency plan from the Department of Homeland Security said ICE would retain 19,626 of its 21,028 workers during a shutdown.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes agents who monitor border crossings, has identified 63,243 essential workers out of its force of 67,792. Remaining workers could be furloughed in as little as four hours, the agencies said.

ICE, immigration raids in NY

Federal officers have carried out several immigration raids in Rochester and Western New York this year, including a failed attempt to arrest roofers in the East Avenue neighborhood in early September.

Immigration courts, including a court in Batavia, are expected to continue removal proceedings, though some cases may experience delays. Key court personnel would remain on duty as essential employees to respond to Trump’s national emergency caused by illegal immigration, according to a U.S. Department of Justice plan.

“(The Executive Office for Immigration Review) currently has a backlog approaching four million cases which would be greatly exacerbated during a shutdown absent excepted activities,” the plan said.