If you were going to pick one spot around town to dodge an ICE raid, Bricktown seems like a good choice.
Not only are there plenty of alleyways, dumpsters, and closed restaurants to hide in, but – let’s be honest – it seems like this area would be low on ICE’s priority list, with their efforts likely focused on the parts of town with a higher concentration of immigrants.
That’s why I was a bit surprised when I received an email from an Ogle Mole asking me if I’m going to cover the ICE raids in Bricktown that were being discussed on social media.
I immediately thought the tip was suspicious.
During panics and hysteria, even the well-deserved ones, social media is a notoriously unreliable place to get news and information – an empty void where algorithmic-friendly presumption, misinformation, and uninformed opinion double as news.
Plus, once again, why would ICE agents target Bricktown? Did Steve Lackmeyer change careers? Are they going after girls from Weatherford who are in town for a Bachelorette Party? Have Somali pirates returned to the Bricktown canal and hijacked a water taxi? We need answers!
Regardless, I guess the rumor made its way to the crack news team at Channel 4.
They recently debunked another viral video about ICE raids in the OKC metro, so I guess they wanted to investigate this one, too.
The verdict?
An Oklahoma City senator and immigration attorney says a raid did not occur inside a popular Bricktown restaurant, following viral reaction to federal immigration agents taking two employees into custody there on Sunday…
Catch that? This wasn’t a raid. It was a “targeted operation.” How’s that for some newspeak.
Here’s more:
News 4 sat down with Oklahoma Senator Michael Brooks-Jimenez on Monday for the second time in three days on the topic of immigration and raids. On Friday, News 4 shared a warning from Brooks-Jimenez and the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce about the negative impact spreading misinformation about false mass raids can have on undocumented communities.
Brooks-Jimenez says the incident at Pearl’s Crabtown wasn’t a raid, but a targeted operation.
“This is part of an existing program that already exists with ICE, which is called fugitive operations,” said Brooks-Jimenez.
Brooks-Jimenez says the program typically targets those who have a criminal conviction or an outstanding order of deportation, and has been common throughout the past several presidential administrations.
Yep, that’s right!
Even though our current esteemed President has essentially vowed to treat all undocumented workers – and their children – as criminals and fugitives, and threatened to deport them all en masse to “where they came from,” there’s nothing to worry about because this ICE raid targeted real-life fugitives.
Here’s more:
“That’s what occurred this time, is that they went and arrested this person while they were working at a restaurant,” said Brooks-Jimenez. “ICE came in because they had a target identified to be able to come and arrest, and then there are other people they encounter that are undocumented, that they may be picked up as collateral.”
Yep, if you’re an undocumented worker busting your ass at a local restaurant, you better make sure your co-workers aren’t fugitives, otherwise you may be picked up as collateral… in a targeted operation. I’m sure that makes everyone feel better.
For what it’s worth, I see the point Jimenez and others are making here.
As the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce notes, misinformation about ICE raids can create unnecessary fear and anxiety, leading people to avoid work, school, medical appointments, and essential services, which ultimately disrupts economic stability, education, and community trust.
Basically, it’s a Boy Who Cried Wolf situation; the only difference is that the wolf was really there and was conducting a targeting operation on undocumented sheep.
That being said, I don’t blame people—especially those in Hispanic communities—for being on edge.
It’s not like this is Wesley NYSM spreading lies about the SWAT team storming his house. Thanks to Donald Trump and his totalitarian actions and rhetoric, whether it’s a “targeted operation,” full-blown raid, or simply misinformation spreading its way across social media, the end result is the same – fear, disruption, and lives upended.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
