The Day (CT):
Federal agents arrested 29 illegal immigrants in a raid Wednesday, two days after the city approved a program to make municipal identification cards available to them, federal officials said.[..]
Kica Matos, who oversees the New Haven department that assists immigrants, said most of the arrests were in the city's Fair Haven section, home to many immigrants. Officials believe none of the immigrants have criminal records, she said. Matos said she believes the raids are related to the Board of Aldermen's 25-1 vote this week to create all-purpose municipal identification cards. The cards will allow illegal immigrants to open bank accounts and use other services that may be unavailable without driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards.[..]
Grenier said the raids had nothing to do with the city's approval of the ID program.
"These are routine fugitive operations," he said. "We have teams deployed all over the U.S."
But (Mayor John) DeStefano wasn't buying that explanation.
"Now there are in America 11,000 cities, towns and villages, but somehow, by some act of circumstance or coincidence, within 36 hours, the response was in New Haven," DeStefano said.
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