Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Aydin González Colón said on Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interventions in churches and commercial establishments on the island are unnecessary, though she did not reject federal agencies’ authority to enforce immigration laws. "I believe it’s unnecessary. I believe federal agencies can do their work and apprehend those people who are violating the law without having to enter those churches or enter businesses and create these chaotic situations with people who have been here for years and are upstanding citizens," she told reporters.
She added she is "paying close attention" to the matter. Her remarks came amid public complaints about ICE operations in communities, businesses and other spaces in Puerto Rico, and in response to questions about recent interventions and the statements of San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo, who has questioned the federal operations. La Fortaleza Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano had previously acknowledged complaints of interventions based on skin color, including US citizens born in Puerto Rico, said the commonwealth government does not direct federal operations, and urged affected people to seek legal guidance.
Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera voiced solidarity with the immigrant community and called for immigration laws to be enforced without violence and with respect for human rights. González Colón announced no additional concrete measures.