U.S. federal immigration authorities have conducted inspections and arrests in Glendale, raising serious concerns among the city’s Armenian community.
Glendale Mayor Artashes Kassakhian said city officials do not know how many Armenians have been arrested, as federal authorities have neither shared relevant information with municipal agencies nor cooperated with them on the matter, according to NEWS.am.
He explained that Glendale’s municipal authorities are not involved in federal immigration enforcement operations and have no legal authority to intervene in them. The mayor also highlighted that those being arrested include not only individuals with other immigration statuses but also people who have applied for asylum or are in the process of obtaining permanent residency.
“People who witness these operations cannot distinguish exactly who is being arrested, and the lack of transparency is causing considerable anxiety and concern,” Kassakhian emphasized.