State Sen. Art Haywood, a Democrat representing parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia who organized Tuesday’s press conference, said it is important that elected officials “clearly condemn these ICE agents and their behavior.”
“ICE agents, if you can hear me: Do not follow these cruel orders that violate the basic dignity that we all recognize,” he said. “And for all immigrants who are terrified, traumatized by what they see on television and in these neighborhoods: We stand with you.”
ICE activity in the region is not at the scale of the operations seen in Minneapolis, said state Sen. Katie Muth, who represents Lower Providence Township and other parts of Montgomery County, as well as parts of Berks and Chester counties. But she described immigration enforcement agents’ arrests in the area as “an invasion nevertheless.”
“I’ve received phone calls from school teachers whose students get dropped off in the morning and their parents are detained after dropping off their kids at school,” she said. “This has been ongoing since the Trump administration has taken office, and I think that Project 2025 was very clear in its intentions, and we are living … the reality of that nightmare right now.”
Muth said ICE agents’ tactics should be a concern to all people, citizens and noncitizens alike.
“If you think that this can’t happen to you, you’re wrong,” she said. “If you allow this kind of unlawful behavior without due process to happen to one person, it can happen to anyone.”
Immigration enforcement agents also behaved in an “unlawful and inhumane” manner during another ICE raid last week in Phoenixville, Muth said.
In congressional testimony Tuesday about the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents, Todd Lyons, ICE director, defended his agency’s officers.
“Let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us. You will fail,” Lyons said.
Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija condemned the masks ICE agents commonly use.
“We have police officers, we have sheriffs, we have detectives, we have EMS, officials, all working to keep our community safe,” he said. “None of these law enforcement officials wear masks … All of these law enforcement agents do the work they do in a way that is respectful, in a way that is committed to upholding the rights of every citizen, and in a way that they aren’t afraid to show who they are and what they represent.”