Houston warns residents to watch out for imposter ICE agents

An ICE agent.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Authorities in Houston have already warned residents about ne'er-do-wells pretending to be police officers and telling citizens they are under mandatory evacuation in order to rob them after they leave; now, the city is sharing with the public "disturbing reports" that in some neighborhoods, people are also going door-to-door impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents so they can scare the occupants away and burglarize their empty homes.

Actual ICE officials wear badges that say "special agent," and Houston wants its residents to ask anyone who knocks on their door and says they are an officer to show their badge and credentials. The city also noted that as long as Hurricane Harvey relief efforts are underway, there will not be any immigration enforcement operations in the affected areas.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.