Latinos bear the brunt of immigration enforcement in New York State, making up nearly three-quarters of all arrests despite comprising only a quarter of the state's non-citizen population, according to a recent report. The study by the New York Immigration Coalition and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found that Ecuadorians, who make up just 4% of the state's non-citizen population, accounted for nearly a quarter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests.
In contrast, Venezuelans and Guatemalans, which account for roughly 1% of the state's non-citizen population, made up 7% and 8% of ICE arrests respectively. The report does not speculate on the reasons behind this disproportionate representation but comes amid growing concerns that federal immigration officers are relying on racial profiling.
The findings echo a recent Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for racial profiling as grounds for immigration stops. Some Latino residents in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have reported being targeted by federal agents due to their race and skin color, including green card holders.
The report's authors note that the picture in New York largely mirrors the nation, with ICE arresting more non-citizens from Mexico and Central America than from South Asia, Europe, and Africa combined. This disparity affects nearly every Latino population in the United States.
Interestingly, men account for a disproportionate share of ICE arrests, making up 89% of all arrestees despite comprising only 50% of the state's non-citizen population. Additionally, immigrants without criminal records are being arrested at an alarming rate, with those without convictions constituting just 30% of all ICE arrestees.
The report warns that ICE arrests could "intensify significantly" based on experiences in Los Angeles and prior patterns in New York State. Local immigration attorneys have testified about "indiscriminate" stops of Hispanic men in heavily immigrant neighborhoods, including a case where a blind Ecuadorian man was questioned, detained, and threatened due to his race.
As the Trump administration continues to ramp up immigration law enforcement across the country, these findings highlight the urgent need for reform and greater accountability.
In contrast, Venezuelans and Guatemalans, which account for roughly 1% of the state's non-citizen population, made up 7% and 8% of ICE arrests respectively. The report does not speculate on the reasons behind this disproportionate representation but comes amid growing concerns that federal immigration officers are relying on racial profiling.
The findings echo a recent Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for racial profiling as grounds for immigration stops. Some Latino residents in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have reported being targeted by federal agents due to their race and skin color, including green card holders.
The report's authors note that the picture in New York largely mirrors the nation, with ICE arresting more non-citizens from Mexico and Central America than from South Asia, Europe, and Africa combined. This disparity affects nearly every Latino population in the United States.
Interestingly, men account for a disproportionate share of ICE arrests, making up 89% of all arrestees despite comprising only 50% of the state's non-citizen population. Additionally, immigrants without criminal records are being arrested at an alarming rate, with those without convictions constituting just 30% of all ICE arrestees.
The report warns that ICE arrests could "intensify significantly" based on experiences in Los Angeles and prior patterns in New York State. Local immigration attorneys have testified about "indiscriminate" stops of Hispanic men in heavily immigrant neighborhoods, including a case where a blind Ecuadorian man was questioned, detained, and threatened due to his race.
As the Trump administration continues to ramp up immigration law enforcement across the country, these findings highlight the urgent need for reform and greater accountability.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this report... 3/4 of all ICE arrests in NY State are on Latinos, but they only make up a quarter of the non-citizen population? It's like they're being targeted just because of their skin color 
. And it's not just Latinos, either - Ecuadorians are making up 25% of those arrested, despite only being 4% of the population? That's crazy! 
What's going on here? Is this some kind of profiling thing? I mean, I know there was that Supreme Court decision that basically gave the green light to racial profiling... but come on, can't we do better than that? 
it's like they're makin a mistake with every single arrest. and it's not just men, women are gettin arrested too! 
. they're tryin to shed light on this serious issue. we need immigration reform ASAP and more accountability too... can't let ICE keep gettin away with this kinda thing 
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. It's crazy that Latinos make up most of the arrested people but only 25% of non-citizens 
. I mean, what's going on? 
. Men are making up most of the arrests too 
and people without convictions are getting arrested a lot too 
. This is really scary for the immigrant community 
.
! The government needs to reform their policies and make sure everyone gets treated equally 
. We can't just ignore these issues and hope they go away 
. We need to stand up for what's right and fight for justice 
.
. Can't we move forward and be kind to everyone? 
. Just that Latinos (and men) make up 75% of all arrests, despite being only 25% of the non-citizen population - talk about a suspicious coincidence! The numbers are straight out of a bad cop show 
.
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. And those poor folks getting targeted just because of their skin color or nationality... well, that's just a big ol' mess