CRIME/DHS/IMMIGRATION: “Immigration agents may arrest crime victims and witnesses at courthouses, a homeland security official said Tuesday [4-4-17], highlighting a growing dispute between the Trump administration and some state court officials who fear the practice will hinder law enforcement work in their jurisdictions.
‘Just because they’re a victim in a certain case does not mean there’s not something in their background that could cause them to be a removable alien,’ David Lapan, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman, said in a briefing to reporters. ‘Just because they’re a witness doesn’t mean they might not pose a security threat for other reasons.’’
DHS Secretary John F. Kelly and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are in a public disagreement with court officials who have complained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents going to local courthouses could scare some victims and witnesses away from reporting or providing evidence of crimes.”
-Devlin Barrett, “DHS: Immigration agents may arrest crime victims, witnesses at courthouses,” The Washington Post online, April 4, 2017