Trump ICE Raids: Immigrants Rushing To Remove Tattoos, California Clinic Says

Immigrants are queuing up to get their tattoos removed out of fear that they may be identified because of them and deported out of the country as a result, according to a California-based tattoo removal clinic.

The clinic told local reporters that recently the number of customers visiting them has doubled. Although typically, the stated reason for the removal of a tattoo is to remove the name of a former lover, or to appear more presentable for job interviews, the latest rush has been attributed to fear of deportations under President Donald Trump’s latest policies.

The tattoo clinic reportedly said that members of the Latino community fear that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could profile them and check their immigration status.

“A lot of people don’t want to be a moving target or even seen as a target…And for fear that they might be seen as a certain type of person or judged in any way, people want to get their tattoos removed,” Nora Ruiz of the San Pablo Economic Development Corporation said, according to KPIX.

Read: Deportations To Increase As Immigration Judges Go To 3 More States

A related report also suggested that a father of two U.S.-born children was ultimately detained as a result of his tattoos and old speeding tickets.

Since Trump’s executive order to crack down on immigrants with criminal offenses living in the country illegally, ICE agents have been detaining hundreds of immigrants through massive raids. Nearly 250 immigrants were arrested and detained in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia earlier this month. The ICE raids also occurred in states such as Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

According to some reports, some immigrants are foregoing necessary treatment over fear of being deported. Still others are not availing their food stamps, Washington Post reported.