Early Friday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held her weekly news conference in which she updates reporters on various political issues. During the address, which was televised on C-Span, Pelosi brought up President Donald Trump’s plans for an undocumented persons deportation raids, which was announced via Twitter on June 17 but then delayed for reasons that weren’t totally clear at the time.
Pelosi now credits Christians for the delay, specifically citing Hispanic Christians who reached out on behalf of their family members and fellow churchgoers. [h/t Jack Jenkins]
“When he announced this before, I called some people of faith about this,” Pelosi said. “Evangelicals who support the President for other reasons, but who had been good on immigration issues. Usually. Basically, they were very concerned that this goes too far because these raids are not what they signed up for with President Trump. And I think their calls to the President made a difference.”
She went on to say that “Basically what they said to me — this is Hispanic evangelicals — on Sunday, west of the Mississippi, our people are in church. And as they prepare to go to church, they feel very threatened and scared by these raids. So hopefully the president will think about it, or these groups will weigh in once again.”
You can watch the full clip here.
Whatever reprieve Hispanic evangelicals may have bought may have been short-lived, since sweeping ICE deportation raids will reportedly begin this weekend. It’s reportedly a controversial plan, even within Trump’s own administration, as ICE officials are nervous about the public outcry over images of families and children being arrested or separated.
Pro-immigrant groups have begun spreading materials so that potential targets of these raids can be aware of their rights.
?ICE Raids are expected to start on Sunday in:
– Miami
– Atlanta
– Chicago
– Baltimore
– Denver
– Houston
– Los Angeles
– New Orleans
– New York City,
– San FranciscoIf you are in any of these cities, please share this info ? #ProtectEachOther #Protejamonos pic.twitter.com/Cqa777nnxq
— RAICES (@RAICESTEXAS) June 21, 2019
It remains to be seen whether these reported new raids will actually happen or not, but on Wednesday, Ken Cucinnelli, acting director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, told reporters that they are “absolutely going to happen”, though he declined to say when.
