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Immigration Rights Groups Raise Alarm over ICE Plan to Host “Citizens Academy”

HeadlineJul 10, 2020

In immigration news, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly plans to launch a six-week so-called citizens academy class in Chicago, where the agency plans to teach attendees “defensive tactics” and “firearms familiarization” to arrest undocumented people. Immigrant rights advocates are sounding the alarm on the initiative, which ICE hopes to expand nationwide. Silky Shah, executive director of Detention Watch Network, said, ”ICE is recruiting an army of 'citizens' to fuel its propaganda machine and forge hatred in our communities. … [T]he outcome of this program will be more terror unleashed upon immigrant communities and people of color.”

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