{"id":114151,"date":"2026-02-14T19:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114151\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T19:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:40:10","slug":"punches-thrown-by-counterprotester-at-anti-ice-demonstration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/114151\/","title":{"rendered":"Punches thrown by counterprotester at anti-ICE demonstration"},"content":{"rendered":"

A protest against the federal immigration crackdown led to punches thrown by a lone counterprotester and a police response in Springdale Borough in the wake of the detention of a local man earlier this week.<\/p>\n

The protest, organized by Springdale residents and Indivisible Pittsburgh, brought more than 100 people to the intersection of Pittsburgh and School streets. Attendees included state Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, and Allegheny Valley School Board Member Amy Sarno.<\/p>\n

Sarno told the protesters that the family of Cordova Flores consists of educated, hard-working people who were in the country legally, abide by the law and are contributing to the community. \u201cAnd their precious children are our children\u2019s classmates, their beloved friends, soccer teammates and students in our schools,\u201d Sarno said. \u201cThe only thing more powerful than hate is love.\u201d<\/p>\n

She urged attendees to remain peaceful.<\/p>\n

Roughly a half-hour into the protest, a man drove his car down the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat gentleman came, slammed on his brakes several times, going down an entire line of people that were lined up on the street, shouting obscenities out the window, until he got to the very end,\u201d recounted William Loar, of Shaler, who came to Springdale to support friends there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe threatened a man who looks like he is of Latino descent. \u2026 He said to him in front of his two daughters, he said, \u2018I will kill you,\u2019 put his vehicle in park and got out of his car.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The man driving the car, who declined to provide his name, told reporters that he was shouting, \u201cTrump, more ICE, more ICE, Trump, get these illegals out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man said he believed \u201cillegals\u201d were \u201ctaking the jobs. \u2026 This is bullshit, what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The man said a protester threatened to kill him and steal his car. That prompted the man to get out of his car \u201cbecause I don\u2019t know what they\u2019re going to do to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Anti-ICE protester Ian Hill, of Springdale Borough, right, yells at a man who jumped out of his truck to fight with a largely peaceful protest of ICE. William Loar, of Shaker, stands between them, on Feb. 14, in the borough. More than 100 people rallied in the borough\u2019s main business district following the ICE arrest of Randy Cordova Flores, who lived blocks away. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg\/Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source)<\/p>\n

Loar said he attempted to get between the counterprotester and the man with two daughters. He said the counterprotester shoved him.<\/p>\n

Tony Passarelli, of Vandergrift, said the protesters were careful not to come into physical contact with the counterprotester. Passarelli then began photographing the counterprotester and their license plate. The counterprotester then punched Passarelli twice in the face and attempted to knock his camera out of his hands. Police then pulled up and the altercation ended, Passarelli said.<\/p>\n

Springdale Borough police then arrived, and the counterprotester left. The counterprotester was not arrested, but police took victim statements. Police shut down the street, but it was reopened by 1:30 p.m. Sarno thanked first responders. Passing cars honked support for the protesters, while one or two shouted, \u201cdeport them all\u201d and similar sentiments.<\/p>\n

The catalyst for the protest was the Feb. 10 detention of Randy Ralphy Cordova Flores, originally from Peru. The ICE detention locator indicates that he is now at the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Clearfield County.<\/p>\n

\"APaulette Cordova Pacheco, left, and her brother, Randy Cordova Flores. Cordova says her brother, a father of two school-age children, told her he was met by ICE agents at the Springdale Borough police station and is now detained. (Photo courtesy of Paulette Cordova Pacheco)<\/p>\n

Cordova Flores\u2019 sister has said that he was pulled over by Springdale Borough police for failure to use his turn signal, taken to the municipal police station and then turned over to ICE. She has said that her brother has been in the U.S. for three years with his two children and their mother, and has been compliant with the asylum seeking process.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Public Source search of local, state and federal court dockets finds no criminal or other law enforcement action regarding Cordova Flores prior to his detention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, said Thursday that he understood, based on the family\u2019s account, that \u201cMr. Cordova Flores has a pending asylum determination, a valid work authorization and no criminal record.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again, we need answers to basic questions about the reason for his arrest and why our government is seeking to remove him from the country. I\u2019ll keep fighting for answers and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n

ICE spokesperson Jason Koontz said Friday that Cordova Flores had previously entered the United States illegally.<\/p>\n

Koontz wrote that in 2023, Customs and Border Patrol agents encountered Cordova Flores in Yuma, Arizona, and found that he had unlawfully entered the country. Koontz said Cordova Flores entered under the \u201ccatch and release program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under that program, people caught crossing the border without authorization were processed, monitored via ankle bracelets, phone or regular check-ins, and allowed to remain in the U.S. but not in custody while their cases were heard. A judge first ruled against the program in 2023 but it lingered until early in the second Trump administration.<\/p>\n

More recently, according to Koontz, Cordova Flores failed to show up for an immigration proceeding ordered by a judge. \u201cHe will now face consequences for violating our nation\u2019s laws,\u201d Koontz wrote.<\/p>\n

A family member has said that Cordova Flores had been using the ICE app and complying with the check-in process required for those seeking asylum.<\/p>\n

Koontz told Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source that Cordova Flores\u2019 arrest was part of a joint operation between the federal immigration agency and the Springdale Borough police. The borough has an agreement, called a 287(g), with ICE to collaborate on immigration enforcement. The borough is one of a handful of Allegheny County municipalities that have inked such agreements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AMore than 100 people gathered in Sprindale Borough to protest ICE spurred by the arrest of resident Randy Cordova Flores, on Feb. 14. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg\/Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source)<\/p>\n

Protester Loar called this \u201ca scary time for a lot of people. \u2026 I can\u2019t just sit still and not show support. There\u2019s a lot going on right now in this country that is very unfair and unjust. We say liberty and justice for all. When did that stop meaning something?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie Strasburg is a photojournalist with Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source who can be reached at stephanie@publicsource.org<\/a>, on Instagram@stephaniestrasburg<\/a>or on Twitter@stephstrasburg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rich Lord is the managing editor at Pittsburgh\u2019s Public Source and can be reached at rich@publicsource.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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