How Disaster Provides Cover for Authorities to Target Immigrants
Briefly

The article discusses an incident involving Lucia A., who faced wrongful detention by the LAPD during the 1992 L.A. Uprising. Amid curfews and riots, officers mistook her for a sex worker and threatened deportation. This event highlights how local and immigration authorities coordinated to deport over a thousand individuals, branding them 'riot aliens.' As deportations rise under recent administrations, this history reveals the ability of local governments and agencies to enact drastic measures against immigrant communities, suggesting a continued threat of mass removals from communities.
Lucia A. and her husband were approached by LAPD officers who wrongfully accused her of being a sex worker, highlighting the racial and immigration prejudices of the time.
During the L.A. Uprising, authorities categorized ordinary citizens as 'riot aliens,' leading to mass deportations of over a thousand undocumented residents.
The coordination between LAPD and INS during the 1992 unrest showcases how government agencies can target immigrant populations, a troubling precedent as deportation anxieties rise.
As the Trump Administration aligns with past historical deportations, the 1992 L.A. incidents serve as a stark reminder of existing legal frameworks ready to facilitate mass removals.
Read at time.com
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