Roberto González Nieves, archbishop emeritus of San Juan and apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of San Juan, criticized the treatment immigrants receive during U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Puerto Rico. He expressed support for Dominican, Haitian and Chinese communities on the island amid what he called an intensification of ICE operations, saying a "systematic persecution" has been unleashed to terrorize them and deprive them of dignity, family life, and the right to work.
González Nieves alleged that excessive physical force is used in some interventions, saying people are thrown to the ground and dragged. He appealed directly to Puerto Rican ICE agents participating in these operations to never mistreat detained immigrants and to give them humane, dignified treatment. He said Catholic faithful frequently send him videos of these interventions showing what he described as heartbreaking scenes, including one showing an ICE agent striking a person on the ground at the corner of Luz, Corozo and Corazón streets in Barrio Obrero.
He said no human being deserves such treatment, especially from law enforcement authorities.