More than 50 community organizers and Philadelphia residents gathered outside the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice on Friday morning to protest following an arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents earlier that week.
The arrest, which occurred on Wednesday, involved plainclothes ICE agents who worked in collaboration with Philadelphia police to detain an individual exiting the courthouse.
A video recording shared by the immigrant advocacy nonprofit Juntos captures the moment ICE agents tackled the man to the ground as he left the building.
Despite onlookers’ requests for identification and a warrant, the ICE officers did not specify their identity or present any documentation during the arrest.
The footage was recorded by a volunteer member of Juntos’ ICE Watch team, who are trained to monitor and respond to ICE activities.
Although Philadelphia police officers stand nearby during the incident and do not physically restrain the person being arrested, their presence raises questions about the department’s cooperation with ICE.
In response to inquiries from WHYY regarding this cooperation, the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) stated that its actions align with a 2016 executive order from former Mayor Jim Kenney, which details specific conditions under which the PPD should cooperate with ICE.
This executive order mandates that compliance with ICE detainer requests should only occur when a judicial warrant supports them.
As of now, it remains unclear whether ICE had a warrant in place at the time of Wednesday’s detainment.
Protest organizers and participants argue that the collaboration between ICE and PPD undermines Philadelphia’s status as a sanctuary city.
Erika Guadalupe Nunez, the executive director of Juntos, expressed disappointment over any local agency cooperation with ICE, highlighting the broken promises of protection for immigrant communities.
At the rally, Nunez was joined by other speakers, including Elena Emelchin Brunner from Asian Americans United, and Lenore Ramos from Juntos, who recounted her experiences as the Community Defense Organizer for Juntos.
Ramos emotionally shared her distress over witnessing individuals being processed by ICE.
“I sit on one side of a plastic screen, unable to offer a hug or even a handshake, and I watch as ICE employees bring them in and out of their cages.
It makes me physically ill every time,” Ramos stated passionately.
She emphasized that, despite Philadelphia being declared a sanctuary city over a decade ago, the city is failing to support its immigrant communities amidst what she described as an expansion of fascism in local governance.
The rally continued until 11 a.m., with participants holding signs reading “ICE out of Philly” and “Abolish ICE,” while chanting anti-ICE slogans during breaks in the speeches.
Austen Parrott, who felt compelled to join the protest after viewing the arrest video, characterized the incident as “appalling.”
Parrott criticized the police department for seemingly collaborating with ICE in ways that escalate tensions and abuse individuals.
Josh Finkelstein, an organizer with Make the Road PA, expressed optimism about the rally’s turnout, noting that it represented a unified effort among activists.
“We’re going to continue lobbying together, and the City Council, the mayor, and our elected officials are really going to have to start taking us seriously,” Finkelstein declared.
Guadalupe Nunez conveyed her concerns over the chilling effect of ongoing ICE arrests, stating that they have made the immigrant community reluctant to engage in daily activities.
“People don’t want to call 911, they don’t want to take the kids to the hospital, they don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to go to school,” she articulated.
In addition to the arrest outside the courthouse, recent ICE operations have also targeted individuals at a food market near Norristown, where 14 people were taken into custody.
On July 6, ICE detained five undocumented Guatemalan immigrants in Point Breeze.
WHYY and Billy Penn have reached out to ICE for comment but have yet to receive a response.
image source from：billypenn
