Rally held outside of Philadelphia courthouse in response to controversial arrest by ICE
A few dozen people gathered at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in Philadelphia on Friday to protest a controversial arrest by ICE that took place outside the courthouse.
"They refused to identify themselves. They didn't present a warrant," said Erika Guadalupe Nunez, with Juntos, an immigrant advocacy organization.
A volunteer with Juntos captured the moment the man was arrested Wednesday as he was leaving a court hearing.
The organization created a program called ICE Watch to monitor the activity of federal agents at courthouses.
"[ICE agents] physically, violently restrained the community member. He couldn't breathe. They had his leg on his back on his neck," Nunez said.
Nunez believes this recent incident underscores a bigger issue of immigrants being treated unfairly across the country. She said the city needs to do more to make sure immigrants' rights aren't violated.
"The same way that [ICE is] being just as forceful and just as aggressive, we request our city to meet that energy in the same in defense of immigrant communities if we truly are a sanctuary city," Nunez said.
The arrest happened on the same day ICE agents raided the Super Gigante grocery store in West Norriton Township, which led to the arrest of 14 undocumented immigrants, including six Mexican nationals.
Nunez is now calling on the city to expand its sanctuary city policies as well as to better protect immigrants from surveillance, detention and deportation.
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier attended the rally and said an executive order that prohibits Philadelphia police from collaborating with ICE remains in effect.
Gauthier said she came to the rally to stand in solidarity with the immigrant community
"Philadelphia is considered a welcoming city," she said. "That is a distinction that we received several years ago, that is an expression of how much we value immigrants, and we need to stand on that and make sure that immigrants feel protected at this time."
