U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials took pride on Sunday in dismantling a homemade sign in Mount Pleasant that expressed anger towards the immigration agency.
The incident occurred on Friday, when surveillance video captured ICE agents tearing down the sign, which was displayed outside Lamont Plaza in the neighborhood known for its significant Latin American community.
In a video shared on social media by the agency, eight individuals wearing masks and bulletproof vests affirmed their actions.
“We’re taking America back, baby,” one masked agent declared in English before adding in Spanish, “Este es para America, Estados Unidos es número uno,” translating to, “This is for America, the United States is number one.”
The sign, made from a bedsheet, contained a message that included profanity in Spanish directed at ICE and a call for action written in English: “Mount Pleasant melts ICE.”
Residents expressed their frustration and disappointment over ICE’s actions, with local resident Tyler Sylvester stating, “Honestly, I was disgusted but not surprised at this point. These people are Trump’s thugs.”
Following the removal of the original sign, community members quickly responded by creating a new message, this time without explicit language.
The new sign, also displayed on a bedsheet, read, “No deportations in Mount Pleasant,” alongside the Spanish phrase, “no a la migra,” which translates to “no to immigration authorities.”
Sylvester noted that the new sign demonstrated the community’s support for its immigrant neighbors: “We love our migrant neighbors — as evidenced by the sign. I want to keep this message back in the neighborhood.”
Local business owner Gus May echoed these sentiments, calling ICE’s actions a disrespectful response to the community.
“For them to come here and try to do that as some sort of ‘f— you’ to the neighborhood — it’s gross, it’s disgusting, and we don’t stand for that,” May declared.
He described the situation as an abuse of power, adding, “They’re trying to occupy the city. I think everyone is pissed off about it. It feels like they’re infringing upon our rights.”
This dispute over a simple sign highlights larger tensions between the federal government and local communities, particularly regarding immigration policies.
The controversy coincides with ongoing negotiations between President Donald Trump’s administration and District of Columbia leaders concerning the potential takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Just days before the incident, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb had announced a compromise regarding the president’s intentions, temporarily pausing a lawsuit related to the takeover in exchange for changes in leadership appointments.
Simultaneously, three Republican governors from Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia pledged to reinforce Trump’s measures by deploying National Guard troops to the District, with Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine stating that he was asked to provide backup for added security.
As these dynamics unfold, the situation in Mount Pleasant serves as a microcosm of the ongoing national debate over immigration and community rights.
image source from：wusa9
