Deportations are on the rise on Long Island and across the nation as part of President Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, immigration advocates say.
Between Jan. 20 and April 29, federal agents rounded up 687 immigrants on Long Island, in New York City and in several upstate counties, according to Newsday.
Immigration advocates say about 23 percent of those immigrants ICE arrested did not have criminal records, which shows a stark difference from the Obama administration's policy of targeting criminals.
"They say that they're looking for criminals in writing," says Osman Canales, of the group Long Island Immigrant Student Advocates. "But the reality is another one. It gives a lot of room to arrest people that have no criminal records."
Rep. Peter King defended the deportations, citing the dangers presented by the MS-13 gang and open borders in general. He also stressed that ICE is still focusing on those with criminal records and criminal associations.
"They are here illegally, and the same thing happened to a large extent under President Obama as well," King says.
In fact, ICE says that in 2014 -- under President Barack Obama -- agents arrested more than 1,458 immigrants, more than double the number of recent arrests.
Even United States citizens like Rosalba Orozco have been impacted.
Orozco's 53-year-old, mentally disabled son Omar was arrested coming home from work earlier this month, she says.
Separately, advocates say about 1,000 Haitian immigrants on Long Island may soon lose their legal status under the Trump administration and face deportation as well.
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