Last week, just eight days after President Donald Trump took office, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducted a raid at Complete Auto Wash in North Philly’s Juniata neighborhood resulting in the arrest of seven people. This comes after a slew of executive orders titled things like “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” and “Securing Our Border” were signed by the returning president.
Alongside these executive orders, which grant broad powers to the national government to facilitate deportations, the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive that would allow ICE and CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) to raid sensitive areas such as schools and churches.
Philadelphia Councilmember-at-Large Rue Landau held a Trump Preparedness Hearing after these executive orders were signed. “In these last 48 hours, we have witnessed a wave of executive orders—orders that threaten to turn away vulnerable people who look to America for hope,” said Landau. “But Philadelphia has always been at its best when we stand together against injustice—our strength lies in our unity. And in the days ahead, we will need that strength.”
Landau’s office told Metro after the ICE raid in Juniata Park, “Unfortunately, we knew as soon as Trump was elected that he would target immigrants in Philadelphia who are just trying to make a living. I’m grateful that community members and organizations are starting to mobilize toward a rapid response network, and I am working with others in City Council to ensure we are transmitting accurate and up-to-date information so people know their rights.
“I will never stop fighting for our communities regardless of what Trump’s federal government tries to inflict on us.”
Local leaders came out to say that Philadelphians will not be targeted in their schools and places of worship, regardless of what the federal government says.
On Thursday, Philadelphia’s Archbishop Nelson J. Perez issued a statement regarding immigration saying, “Our area is home to many immigrants. Some are recent arrivals. Others have lived and worked here for years. All of them are our brothers and sisters. They were created in the image and likeness of God. They deserve dignity, respect, compassion, and fairness.”
The Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia primary mission is “to provide immigration legal services, education and protection to immigrants in Philadelphia and the surrounding metropolitan area.”
Similarly, on Friday Pennsylvania State Sen. Sharif Street hosted a press conference about the changes to federal immigration policy where he emphasized the safety of children in schools.
“You can send your kids to school, the Philadelphia School District is not working to deport people,” said Street. “It harkens of racial profiling, no one can look undocumented.”
Racial profiling has already begun as a byproduct of the changes in federal immigration policy. While getting a McDonald’s breakfast at the 40th Street location in West Philly, Adisa Bamigbaye, 25, an American citizen of Nigerian and Moroccan descent, was stopped and asked for his papers.
“I see he had like police on his uniform but it doesn’t look like a regular police uniform,” Bamigbaye explained. “Obviously I haven’t been to the 1900’s but I was like ‘Wow this is how it felt back then they’re asking me for papers right now.’ This is crazy… It makes me think of people who are immigrants and are gonna have to go through this on a regular basis.”
Bamigbaye explained that he didn’t have papers. He asked if he was being detained and if he was being accused of a crime, refused to show ID, and asked if he was free to go.
Although Bamigbaye is an American citizen, he followed the American Civil Liberty Union’s “Know Your Rights” guide to a tee inadvertedly.
The ACLU recommends that if stopped by an immigration officer, “You have the right to remain silent and do not have to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with police, immigration agents, or other officials.” In some states, you are legally required to tell law enforcement your name — but both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have no such law.
The ASPIRA Association, which is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to Hispanic education in the United States, has a Philadelphia branch which operates in communities like Hunting Park, Olney, and Kensington. ASPIRA operates three charter schools in Philadelphia, each of them admit students without asking for their immigration status, report families to authorities, or allow ICE or Law Enforcement access without legal requirement.
ICE is granted permission to conduct Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO’s) under the The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This grants ICE the ability to “through the delegation of specified immigration officer duties — to enhance collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our nation’s communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.”
ICE has partnered with 60 state law enforcement agencies around the country to conduct these removal operations, however no law enforcement agencies from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware are a part of this program.
Philadelphia is now just begining to see the presence of ICE officers, they’ve been spotted in Juniata Park where the car wash raid took place, Adisa Bamigbaye encountered them in West Philly, and they tried to intimidate the owners of the Puerto Rican restaurant Boricua Restaurant #2 in Kensington.
In a message posted to social media, the owners of Boricua echoed the same message that the ACLU, ASPIRA, clergy, and public officials have been sharing — it has never been more important that immigrants to know their rights than in this second Trump presidency.
Resources for immigrants in our region can be found at:
Nationalities Service Center: 1216 Arch St 4th floor; 215-893-8400; nscphila.org
HIAS PA: 123 S Broad St.; 215-832-0900; hiaspa.org
Welcoming Center: 211 N. 13th St., 4th floor; 215-557-2626; welcomingcenter.org
Esperanza Immigration Legal Services: 4261 N 5th St.; 215-324-0746; esperanza.us
