Armed officers arrest several outside of immigration court in Phoenix
By Casey Clowes
PHOENIX — Footage showing individuals being detained outside a Phoenix courthouse is prompting concern from elected officials and requests for information from the federal government.
A video recently posted by Telemundo shows people being escorted to white vans by armed individuals wearing vests marked “HSI” or “Police Federal Agent.” The footage was recorded outside an immigration court near downtown Phoenix.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency could not discuss ongoing or future operations but released the following statement:
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.”
ICE later said in another statement that recent guidance allows them to “conduct civil immigration enforcement actions in or near courthouses.”
“Arrests of illegal aliens in courthouses is safer for law enforcement and the general public because these individuals have gone through security and been verified as unarmed,” the statement said. “ICE will make thoughtful decisions in each case and do whatever is most likely to keep the American people safe.”
Some elected officials have said the detained individuals had shown up to court for their scheduled hearings.
The situation has prompted some individuals stand outside the immigration court Wednesday morning and holding up signs in support of migrants.
Some Democratic officials have said they’re working to gather more information about the presence of agents at immigration court.
State Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-District 11, said agents showing up to detain people at their hearings is “reprehensible.”
“ICE said that they cannot provide details of any operations for safety reasons – but what about the safety of the immigrant community? Many of whom have come to the U.S. to avoid dangerous living conditions in their home country,” Miranda said in a statement.
The House Democrats issued a statement from Caucus Whip Quantá Crews saying in part:
“This is not immigration enforcement. This is government-sponsored trauma. It is fear-based governance that tears families apart and silences entire communities. These actions go against the principles of due process, human dignity, and democracy.
To everyone who is navigating the immigration system, please do not go to court alone. Bring an attorney if you can. If not, bring a trusted friend, a faith leader, or a family member who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. We need witnesses. We need documentation. We need each other.”
Progress Arizona, a non-profit which serves as a digital hub for Arizona progressives, according to their website, also issued a statement following the instances of detainment on Tuesday.
The organization alleges the ICE Officers arrested multiple community members, including children, with “no warning, no explanation, and no access to legal counsel.”
“Due Process is a very basic idea: if the government wants to infringe on your liberty, they better have a damn good reason, and they have to prove their case,” said Alex Alvarez, Executive Director for Progress Arizona. “Without it, anyone can be disappeared with impunity, citizen and non-citizen alike.
Today, ICE, acting as modern-day Gestapo, continued the Trump regime’s all-out assault on due process, ripping community members, who were following typical legal proceedings, away from their families.
We will continue to call out this atrocious behavior and urge all Arizonans to do the same. We cannot allow the disappearing of our community members to happen in the shadows.”
Progress Arizona has resources for anyone who is looking for more information about their rights online here.
“Today’s detainings raise urgent questions about the integrity of immigration proceedings, the targeting of vulnerable communities, and the erosion of basic constitutional principles.
We are calling for immediate transparency from ICE, protection for those impacted, and accountability for actions that are a direct violation of both legal norms and human rights,” Abigail Jackson, spokesperson for Progress Arizona.
“This affects all of us; we all must resist the disappearing of anyone within the United States of America. Each of us is only protected by due process if all of us are.”