#1: 'Get creative'
#2: 'push the envelope'
and
#3: by all means please use handcuffs.
Exclusive: Ice officers told to get ‘creative’ with arrests, including of undocumented people encountered by chance
Senior US immigration officials over the weekend instructed rank-and-file officers to “turn the creative knob up to 11” when it comes to enforcement, including by interviewing and potentially arresting people they called “collaterals”, according to internal agency emails viewed by the Guardian.
Officers were also urged to increase apprehensions and think up tactics to “push the envelope” one email said, with staff encouraged to come up with new ways of increasing arrests and suggesting them to superiors.
“If it involves handcuffs on wrists, it’s probably worth pursuing,” another message said.
The emails, sent by two top Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials this past Saturday, instructed officers around the country to increase arrest numbers over the weekend.
ETA: ‘What do you mean you’re going after criminals?’
An ERO official said during the meeting that the
Department of Homeland Security and the
White House had argued publicly that they were going after criminal illegal immigrants and that ICE was targeting them, not illegal immigrants in general.
“Miller said, ‘What do you mean you’re going after criminals?’
“
Stephen Miller wants everybody arrested. ‘Why aren’t you at
Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?'” the official added, recounting what happened.