UNLV Immigration Clinic reports 68% of detainees lack criminal convictions amid ICE sweeps
UNLV Immigration Clinic reports 68% of detainees lack criminal convictions amid ICE sweeps
"ICE and other federal agents going to people's houses in the morning, very early morning hours, following people on their way to work, following people on their way to dropping off their children at school," said Alissa Cooley Yonesawa, Managing Attorney for the UNLV Immigration Clinic.
She says most of the detainees don't have dangerous backgrounds.
"About 68% appear to have no criminal convictions. A lower percentage of 38% are listed explicitly by ICE as non-criminal," said Cooley Yonesawa.
Right now, she says 76 are at the Henderson City jail, and 330 are in Pahrump at the Nevada Southern Detention Center.
"What we are seeing more recently, picking people up as they leave their immigration court hearings that happened at the end of of May in Las Vegas and across the country," said Cooley Yonesawa.
The detentions are raising some fears in the community.
One man who sells purses in the parking lot of an East Las Vegas swap meet says he's noticed fewer people coming by.
"Just imagine, like a family member, the father or the mother, you know, gets deported," said Carlos Castro, who didn't want to show his face on camera. "It's hard to resist. It hasn't happened to me. But it's happening to a lot of families."
He says those who do come only come when needed.
"The people just come here to look for what is necessary. They don't come here for recreation or to see what there is," said Castro.
Castro doesn't believe those being targeted by ICE are criminals.
"It's a lie. For example, in Home Depot, there isn't violent people. There are hard-working people," he said. "However, they went to pick everybody up, and there weren't any criminals."
With more funding geared towards ICE in President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," some immigration attorneys believe arrest numbers will rise.
"We'll see an increase in in more sweeping, targeted arrests in more public places, once they have the manpower to do that," said Cooley Yonesawa.
The UNLV Immigration Clinic says it doesn't have official deportation numbers since some end up in other states after originally being detained in Southern Nevada.
Cooley Yonesawa says they do have confirmation that some people have been deported.
