DETROIT – Dozens of immigrants in Detroit were arrested Sunday and sent to an Ohio detention center after a sweep by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.
Families were left in tears as they watched their loved ones bused away to the detention center in Youngstown, Ohio. Meanwhile, ICE released details about who was taken into custody and why.
"As a result of recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq, Iraq has recently agreed to accept a number of Iraqi nationals subject to orders of removal," ICE said in a Monday morning statement. "As part of ICE's efforts to process the backlog of these individuals, the agency recently arrested a number of Iraqi nationals, all of whom had criminal convictions for crimes including homicide, rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug trafficking, robbery, sex assault, weapons violations and other offenses.
"Each of these individuals received full and fair immigration proceedings, after which a federal immigration judge found them ineligible for any form of relief under U.S. law and ordered them removed."
READ: Families react to sudden deportations of dozens of immigrants in Detroit
Very quietly back in February, Donald Trump's administration struck a deal with Iraq, which agreed to take back its citizens who were deemed deportable from the United States.
But there's a major effort to stop the enforcement action that started over the weekend.
Families screamed and children cried Sunday as their loved ones were marched onto the bus. Goodbyes were exchanged through a meshed window and a fence.
The men on the customs bus are on what's called final orders of removal -- deportations back to their homeland of Iraq.
"I do think these are very important questions that have to be asked and answered about the direction that they are going in and what happens when you're in a situation where you're targeting people going into situations there is a high probability that they'll lose their lives," Sen. Debbie Stabenow said.
The treaty was called the Convention Against Torture, and it said deportees will not be sent to countries where they could face persecution, violence or death. But it's difficult to prove, and not something that's seen very often.
A group of attorneys is filing paperwork as the battle prepares to be fought in court.