Hundreds of undocumented immigrants arrested in US

Guadalupe García de Rayos, a Mexican mother, is seen in a van after being arrested for deportation on February 8, 2017. (Photo by The New York Times)

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants have been arrested across the United States this week, in a first large-scale raid after President Donald Trump ordered to crack down on them.

Federal immigration agents raided homes and workplaces in a daytime operation in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, the Los Angeles area, North Carolina and South Carolina this week and arrested immigrants, The Washington Post reported.

The operation is said to be the first since Trump signed an executive order on January 26 to crack down on millions of immigrants living in the US and pledged to deport as many as 3 million undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Customs and Border Protection agents check vehicles entering the US at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Ysidro, California on Friday, February 10, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Among the detainees, however, were people who did not have criminal records, and could potentially be deported, the Post said.

A video that circulated on social media on Friday appeared to show the agents arresting people in a shopping center parking lot in the Austin capital of Texas.

There were also reports of roadway checkpoints, where the agents targeted immigrants for random ID checks, both in Austin and North Carolina.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) admitted the raid on immigrants, but said they were part of “routine” immigration enforcement actions.

People gather in New York City on February 10, 2017, to protest raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week.

“We’re talking about people who are threats to public safety or a threat to the integrity of the immigration system,” said Gillian Christensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.

This has raised concern among immigrant communities and activists across the country, who say the operation is not going to be the last and that Trump’s government could even start going after law-abiding people.

Rights groups said they were planning demonstrations against the raids, which they say have spread “panic and terror” among many immigrant communities.

Protests erupt in New York City

Meanwhile, hundreds of people took to the streets of New York City on Friday evening and in Los Angeles the day before to decry the move.

“This is clearly the first wave of attacks under the Trump administration, and we know this isn’t going to be the only one,” Cristina Jimenez, executive director of an immigrant youth organization-- United We Dream--said on Friday.

Activists rally against President Donald Trump in New York City on February 7,2017. (Photo by AFP)

“I’m getting lots of reports from my constituents about seeing ICE on the streets,” said Greg Casar, an Austin city council member. “Teachers in my district have contacted me—certain students didn’t come to school today because they’re afraid.”

He said ICE needs to clarify whether these people “are in fact dangerous, violent threats to our communities, and not people who are here peacefully raising families and contributing to our state.”

Democratic members of Congress also denounced the reported raids and said they would do what they could to fight them.  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti asked ICE on Friday for "greater transparency about ongoing operations" within the city.