HPD chief says there's great fear among Houston's immigrant community ahead of ICE raids

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston police Chief Art Acevedo appeared on CNN ahead of the ICE raids expected to start Sunday in 10 cities, including Houston.

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Chief Art Acevedo told CNN that there was a fear among the immigrant community, and that agencies should be focusing on real crimes instead.

"I've had kids come up to me at forums with tears in their eyes," said Acevedo. "They're afraid to go to school. They're afraid to come home and find that their parents have been deported."

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He says that the Houston Police Department works with ICE to go after the real criminals.

"We do work with ICE as it relates to homeland security investigations and going after real hardcore criminals," Acevedo says. "There's a lot of them out there and we're just hopeful that we don't create greater problems for society by separating families. Families belong together. They certainly don't belong apart."

Acevedo says despite the ICE raids, he does not want to deter undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes.