The arrests of dozens of Iraqi Christians in southeastern Michigan by U.S. immigration officials appear to be among the first roundups of people from Iraq who have long faced deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Monday declined to say how many were taken into custody, but say at least 40 people were arrested near or at homes, mostly on Sunday. Roughly 100 people protested Sunday at a Detroit detention center, many expressing their concern for the arrestees’ safety. Chaldeans (KAL’-dee-uhn) are among Iraqi Christian denominations that emerged in the faith’s early days, and many speak languages similar to those spoken at the time of Christ. Their population in Iraq has dwindled as hundreds of thousands have fled war and violence over the decades.
Follow us: @NBCLA on Twitter | NBCLA on Facebook