About 50 people turned out on a frigid Friday afternoon in Upper Darby to call out the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and urged the government to spend the money going to the agency for health care and other community needs.
Protesters gathered in front of Upper Darby Township building rallying against federal immigration actions.
“We’re getting together as a community here in Delaware County and Upper Darby because we have been seeing an increase of people being taken by ICE in our community,” said Desi Burnette from the Movement of Immigrant leaders in Pennsylvania. “It’s impacting our young people, negatively. The folks who are being taken are workers, are family and so we are here as a community to say enough.”
She said with many needs in Delaware County, the money that is being spent on ICE could be better spent to improve the community.
“There is no reason we should be making these huge investments into ICE, which is helping nobody in our community,” she said.
When asked what brought her to the anti-ICE enforcement protest Friday afternoon in such cold weather, Esther Coletta of Havertown says, “How could I stay inside?” (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
Burnette said they were there to mourn the deaths of Nicole Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Upper Darby’s Parady La, whose deaths are tied to ICE “and to mourn something even deeper, the death of morality in this nation.”
“We are here to demand transparency, accountability and justice from institutions, which claim to serve us while actively harming us,” she said. “This is our community, this is where we live and we want to take it back.
“We don’t have a hospital in Upper Darby. Why do we have agents who make $100,000 a year, $50,000 bonuses in our community every day, separating our family, scaring our children? We can be doing much better.”
Asked about those who have entered the country illegally, Burnette said it has been over 40 years since there has been immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.
Gabriela Caspandea from the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania speaks at Friday’s protest. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
“Upper Darby is traditionally an immigrant community and when people came here, people got pathways to citizenship … that hasn’t been true for over 40 years. We need immigration reform,” she said.
Burnette said her group was calling on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to not support the mass deportation campaign, and to expand access for driver’s licenses for the undocumented.
The organizers came prepared for temperatures in the teens as the sun set behind the township building. Supporters offered those in attendance handwarmers and hot drinks to get through the protest.
Protestors turned out Friday evening in front of Upper Darby Township building to protest ICE and call for more support for community needs. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
A woman identified as Delia, speaking through an interpreter, said the ICE actions impact her children.
“We shouldn’t live in fear because we are not doing anything bad,” Delia said. “We are not doing anything wrong.”
Desiree Murphy Morrissey of Murphy’s Giving Market in Upper Darby called on officials to support programs such as SNAP funding.
“In a nation of abundance no child should ever go to bed hungry,” she said “No family should have to live in a neighborhood where the fast food is plentiful, but the fresh food is out of reach. Food justice means recognizing that access to healthy cultural appropriate food is a human right. “
Among those on hand for the protests were Upper Darby Mayor Ed Brown, Council Member at Large Kyle McIntyre and state Sen. Tim Kearney.
McIntyre said that though they don’t have the power to stop ICE, it was up to local governments to do everything they legally can to protect the community and maintain trust with local law enforcement. With that in mind, council is bringing forth a resolution in February.
Whistles were given away Friday out in front of the Upper Darby Township building. Anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis use whistles when they see ICE agents conducting enforcement efforts. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
“There is only so much we can do. The federal government is legally in charge. That does not mean we don’t have a separation of powers,” he said. “We have constitutional rights, state’s rights, local rights.”