Some illegal immigrants detained in Los Angeles ICE raids have already been deported, self-deported

Some illegal immigrants detained in Los Angeles raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have reportedly already been deported.

Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente said that two people detained in the raids that started Friday were deported back to Mexico and had final deportation orders, while two others decided to leave voluntarily, according to the Washington Post. The parents of one illegal immigrant who was deported said it happened so quickly that they were unable to obtain a lawyer for their son.

The Trump administration has not released the number of illegal immigrants who have been detained in the the raids.

The Department of Homeland Security released information on 16 illegal immigrants who they said had criminal histories, such as charges or convictions of crimes including robbery, sexual battery, and drug possession. Immigrant advocacy groups, however, have said they collected information showing that more than 200 people were detained and many do not have criminal records.

The Trump administration restarted workplace immigration raids after the Biden administration ended them.

More than a dozen illegal immigrants were detained in an ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel in Los Angeles, according to attorney Elaina Jung Hee Vermeulen.

Federal agents were conducting a criminal investigation and served a search warrant on the business regarding fake employee documents, U.S. Attorney Bilal “Bill” Essayli said. 

White House "border czar" Tom Homan said Monday that ICE’s raid in the Fashion District “wasn’t an immigration raid” and that authorities were carrying out “criminal warrants” connected to money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud investigations.

However, the immigration sweeps were conducted in such predominantly Latino cities as Paramount, Huntington Park and Whittier, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Homan also said that not everyone arrested had a criminal record.

“We’re going to enforce immigration law,” he said, “especially in sanctuary cities.”