ICE tactics questioned after Brooklyn Center man lured from home, detained
ICE tactics questioned after Brooklyn Center man lured from home, detained
Jesus Flores was arrested by ICE agents in Brooklyn Center last Thursday after two women claiming they were having car trouble knocked on his door. The arrest unfolded on a neighbor's security camera. Flores is an undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported, and came back to the country. His family says he's not a criminal.
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - It was shortly after 1 p.m. on Feb. 12, the same day that the drawdown of Operation Metro Surge was publicly announced.
A car pulled up in front of Jesus Flores’s Brooklyn Center home. Two women get out, open the hood and, after a minute or so, knock on the door for help.
Jesus walks out, begins to take a look, then is boxed in by three SUVs that quickly pull up and take him into custody. The entire operation took about five minutes.
And all caught on a neighbor’s security camera.
Detainment tactic questioned by family
A man detained in Brooklyn Center has some questioning the methods that law enforcement used in the process. FOX 9’s Rob Olson has the details.
Tricky tactics
What they're saying:
Jesus’s son Miguel, who like his siblings, was born here and is a U.S. citizen, said the family is shocked by the tricky tactics used by ICE.
"Like they lied to my dad that they needed help with their car," said Miguel. "I mean, they figured out that he was a mechanic. You know, my dad’s a generous guy, he’s willing to help anybody."
Seeking an attorney
What we know:
By Friday morning, Jesus was already in a detention facility in Texas awaiting deportation.
The family is reaching out to immigration lawyers, but due to his status and history, they haven’t found one to take on his case. Jesus had already been deported once, more than 15 years ago.
He remains undocumented. Lawyers have said it’s a long shot.
"That there’s not much they can do with the one deportation already and with another now," said Miguel. "They say we’d be pretty much be wasting our money."
FOX 9 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, seeking details on whether there were other factors that made him an enforcement target, but have not received any information.
Family seeking help
What's next:
The family has started a GoFundMe campaign, in part to raise money to pay an immigration attorney, still hoping they can find one.
It’s also to help support the family’s expenses. Flores has two children with autism and two with special medical needs.
Local churches are also pitching in with food and household supplies.
The family understands why their father is a target of immigration enforcement, but don’t believe he should be. They say he’s far from dangerous. In fact, we could only find parking violations on a criminal history search.
"The main reason he came here to the United States and was willing to come back is to give us a better life and that’s what he’s done. He’s sent me and my sister to college," Miguel said. "There’s no other reason to deport my dad, he’s a hard-working individual."
DHS says Flores is a former gang member
What they're saying:
In a statement on Tuesday to FOX 9, the Department of Homeland Security said Flores is a former gang member who has been removed from the U.S. twice.
In the statement, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin writes:
"On February 12, ICE arrested Jesus Emmanuel Flores-Aguilar, a criminal illegal alien Mexico and former Vatos Locos 13 gang member who was removed TWICE from this country, a felony. His criminal history includes an arrest for felony assault. Following his arrest he was removed in 2010. Flores-Aguilar chose to break the law and commit a felony by illegally re-entering the U.S. AGAIN in 2011 and was removed. He chose to commit another felony and illegally re-enter for a third time at an unknown date. This criminal and gang member will remain in ICE custody pending removal.
"Flores-Aguilar’s gang name was ‘Lucky.’ That ends today. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."