The
Palmer Raids were a series of raids by the
United States Department of Justice intended to capture, arrest and deport radical
leftists, especially
anarchists, from the
United States. The raids and arrests occurred in November 1919 and January 1920 under the leadership of Attorney General
A. Mitchell Palmer. Though more than 500 foreign citizens were deported, including a number of prominent leftist leaders, Palmer's efforts were largely frustrated by officials at the
U.S. Department of Labor, which had authority for deportations and objected to Palmer's methods.