Deportation Fears Scare Victims into Not Reporting Crimes
VAUSE: Federal authorities say immigration agents will continue to make arrests at courthouses across the U.S. despite accusations from California's chief justice that it appears undocumented immigrants are being stalked. And L.A.'s police chief says that practice has also led to a fall in the number of crimes reported by many immigrants as well. CNN's Sara Sidner explains.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESOPNDENT (voice-over): It is almost unheard of for a police chief to tell the public a decrease in crime reports may actually be a dangerous trend, but that is exactly what's happening in one of America's biggest cities.</s>CHARLIE BECK, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: In Los Angeles, domestic violence reports are down 10 percent in the Hispanic community. 10 percent. Imagine somebody being a victim of domestic violence and not calling the police because they're afraid their family will be torn asunder because of immigration enforcement.</s>SIDNER: What's even more alarming, he said, reports of rape dropped 25 percent in the Latino community compared to the same time last year. The fear is crime isn't actually dropping, but victims are too scared to report it. Noticing the drop came after Donald Trump and his tough stance on immigration took office.</s>BECK: There is no direct nexus to it but there is a strong correlation.</s>SIDNER: But in Denver, the city attorney says she has seen a direct link. Heightened fears of deportation have, so far, scared away four domestic violence victims.</s>KRISTIN BRONSON, DENVER CITY ATTONEY: All four were Latina and all four contacted our office to let us know they weren't willing to proceed with the case for fear of deportation.</s>SIDNER: The women were not so much afraid to face their alleged attacker but instead afraid of this --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you hear for ICE enforcement?</s>SIDNER: -- ICE agents in plain clothes waiting right outside courtrooms to detain undocumented immigrants. This video taken by a private law firm shows their fears are not unfounded.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you here to make arrests?</s>UNIDENTIFIED ICE AGENT: Yes.</s>SIDNER: Local law enforcement are worried the potential impact of ICE's presence of witnesses and victims.</s>BRONSON: We are worried that crime will go unpunished. And if crime is unpunished and there are no consequences, then obviously crime can rise.</s>SIDNER: According to ICE policy, courts are fair game. But ICE officials say detaining people at courthouses is often a last resort aimed at violent criminals. Still, their actions are having a chilling effect on victims, too. (on camera): Where are you willing to go now?</s>UNIDENTIFIED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT (through translation): The courts. It frightens me to think that just by going there, immigration will get me.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): This undocumented mother of two American-born daughters says she used to live in terror inside of her home because of her abusive spouse before fleeing. He was never charged. But now she's even more terrified when she leaves her home.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT (through translation): Every single day, I think about this. My daughter says, mom, I'm afraid when you pick me up from school, immigration will be there.</s>SIDNER (on camera): There are a couple of important things to note here. One thing is, typically speaking, there's only a very small of data because we're only talking about the first three months of the year, so hard to tell if there's a larger trend here. Secondly, ICE agents did end up in court houses making arrests during the Obama administration, but they largely stopped the practice sometime after 2013 when there was a huge backlash after ICE agents arrested some women who had gone to court to get restraining orders. Now ICE is clearly back in the courts and the clash between local law enforcement and victims' advocates is too. Sara Sidner, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>VAUSE: When we come back on NEWSROOM, L.A., we'll catch up with the amazing Carly Fleischmann, a non-verbal autistic woman, now talk show host, and proving nothing is never really ever impossible.