String of ICE arrests at Philadelphia courthouse denounced, community seeking investigation
DA Larry Krasner and other advocates denounce the ICE arrests
PHILADELPHIA - A community has denounced a string of ICE arrests at a Philadelphia courthouse and urged the city to investigate a potential collaboration with ICE officials.
On Monday at 10 a.m. Juntos, a community-led Latinx immigrant organization in South Philadelphia, held a press conference on behalf of the ICE Out of Courts Coalition outside the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice on the 1300 block of Filbert Street.
During the press conference, the organization detailed a new trend in arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that has allegedly targeted at least a dozen immigrant community members with pending criminal charges as they exit the local courthouse over the last year.
District Attorney Larry Krasner, organizers, lawyers, and other advocates denounced the arrests, claiming that they directly undermine Philadelphia’s status as a ‘Welcoming City.’
In a press release provided to FOX 29 on Monday, the groups stated the arrests needlessly impacted vulnerable individuals and families.
The group also raised concerns regarding the deprivation of due process protection and wider ramifications that impact public safety and the local trust of our legal system.
Reports from advocates at the press conference suggest that ICE may have information outside the scope of public records.
In an online petition, Juntos and ICE Out of Courts Coalition partners echoed three key demands throughout the press conference:
- A city investigation into how ICE is gaining information about courthouse appearances and any possible violations of the city’s Welcoming City Policy
- Written commitment from both the sheriff’s office and the President Judge for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas that they will not cooperate with ICE.
- Have ICE cease any further arrest of any person with pending criminal charges
Additionally, they believe there is a particular reason for alarm considering that DHS’ policy on sensitive locations acknowledges the effect of immigration arrests in or near places such as hospitals, schools, or courts, asserting that a "core principle" for this policy is to ensure ICE arrests do not "unnecessarily impinge upon the core principle of preserving access to justice."
Both Juntos and the ICE Out of Courts Coalition have demanded "No More ICE in Our Courts."