ICE has targeted Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans are American citizens. Proving that it's never been about immigration, it's always been about race.

The claim consists of three components: 1) ICE has targeted Puerto Ricans; 2) Puerto Ricans are American citizens; and 3) this demonstrates that ICE's actions are motivated by race rather than immigration status.

First, multiple reports confirm that ICE has detained Puerto Ricans, including U.S. Citizens, in various locations both on the island and the mainland United States.latinojustice.orglatinojustice.orgLatinoJustice Demands Answers Around Unlawful Targeting of Puerto Ricans by ICEbrooklyneagle.combrooklyneagle.comNYC reps alarmed about reports of detention of Puerto Ricans by ICEjsonline.comjsonline.comMilwaukee officials, advocates working to verify viral report of Puerto Rican... These detentions have included questioning and arrests based on factors such as speaking Spanish in public or physical appearance.

Second, it is an established legal fact that Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens by birthright under the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917. Therefore, detaining Puerto Ricans as if they were undocumented immigrants raises serious legal and constitutional concerns.brooklyneagle.combrooklyneagle.comNYC reps alarmed about reports of detention of Puerto Ricans by ICE

Third, advocacy groups and some lawmakers have alleged that ICE's practices amount to racial profiling or targeting based on ethnicity and language rather than legitimate immigration enforcement criteria.axios.comaxios.comICE accused of racial profiling in detentions of Latino U.S. citizenslatinojustice.orglatinojustice.orgLatinoJustice Demands Answers Around Unlawful Targeting of Puerto Ricans by ICE These allegations are supported by documented cases where U.S. Citizens of Latino descent were detained or questioned without clear immigration violations. However, ICE and government officials maintain that their enforcement focuses on criminal aliens and those violating immigration laws.

While these facts strongly suggest that race and ethnicity have played a role in some ICE enforcement actions against Puerto Ricans, it is important to note that proving intent behind agency-wide policies is complex. The evidence supports claims of racial profiling in specific instances but does not conclusively prove that all ICE actions are motivated solely by race rather than immigration status.

In summary, the claim is mostly true because ICE has indeed targeted Puerto Ricans who are U.S. Citizens, which undermines the notion that enforcement is purely about immigration status and supports concerns about racial profiling. However, attributing the entire motivation of ICE to race without nuance oversimplifies a complex issue involving policy, enforcement practices, and legal challenges.