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ICE agents pen letter: 'We want the American public to know the truth'

"It greatly concerns us when advocacy groups, citizens & politicians share incorrect information," wrote ICE agents. "These misconceptions may lead to violence."

HOUSTON — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video was published August 23, 2019 

In a two-page letter addressed to the American public and posted online on the website for Immigration Customs and Enforcement, ICE Field Officer Directors detailed the responsibilities of their job which stem from enforcing federal laws enacted by Congress.

"Across the country, a national debate about current and future U.S. immigration policy is growing louder by the day," wrote ICE employees, "and we want to set the record straight."

In the digital letter which you can read HERE, they explain that ICE "ICE does not conduct raids or sweeps and does not operate roadblocks or checkpoints," but rather makes targeted arrests daily.

The federal workers detail who myths fueled a violent situation in San Antonio. 

"As such, it greatly concerns us when advocacy groups, citizens and politicians share and support incorrect or misleading information about our mission that is a vital part of national security and public safety. These misconceptions may lead to violence, which places innocent bystanders, aliens and law enforcement officers in danger. This summer, two ICE facilities – the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, and the ERO Field Office in San Antonio, Texas – have been targets of lawless gunfire."

RELATED: SAPD: Shots fired into ICE office on northeast side

The group of directors go into deatl about not needing a warrant to make an arrest, how they treat people detained with dignity and respect and how ICE officers are aware of the real and emotional impact of immigration enforcement.

In recent years, activists have protested ICE and the need for immigration reform during rallies held in downtown Houston and other parts of the country.  A common phrase used by protesters is "abolish ICE."

RELATED: Crowd marches through Houston protesting family separations at the border

The group of ICE field office directors go on to write, "we know that immigration enforcement is an extremely polarizing issue, but we ask the American people to understand that the federal laws we enforce today are the same ones that have been law for decades. Our mission remains consistent: to identify, arrest and remove aliens who present a danger to national security or are a risk to public safety, as well as those who enter the country illegally or otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration laws and our border control efforts."

RELATED: Trump says nationwide immigration arrests to begin Sunday

RELATED: The largest ICE raid in a decade just happened in North Texas

Credit: I.C.E.
Credit: I.C.E.

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