Federal immigration authorities will continue to conduct arrests in courthouses, and now we know exactly what the process will look like.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement formalized guidelines on Wednesday outlining what officers should and shouldn't do.
In short, ICE officers won't randomly make arrests but will go into courthouses looking for specific targets, according to the guidelines. And they'll avoid arresting family members and friends who might be with those targeted, except under "special circumstances."
Officers are supposed to avoid arresting people in noncriminal courthouse proceedings, like family court or small claims. They're also directed to carry out enforcement activities out of the public eye if possible.
ICE says courthouse arrests are "often necessitated by the unwillingness of jurisdictions to cooperate ... in the transfer of custody of aliens from their prisons and jails," which appears to be a dig at so-called sanctuary cities.
