But the area is also home to thousands of U.S. Citizens who are Puerto Rican or naturalized citizens born in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and other countries. ICE has wrongfully<\/a> detained<\/a> Latino citizens in other states.<\/p>\n On the ground, advocates for immigrants say there\u2019s a general atmosphere of fear as ICE detains people at the county courthouse, adults skip English language classes, employers fire people whose immigration status is up in the air, and more.<\/p>\n Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, ICE administrative arrests and detention have skyrocketed. Guided by the president\u2019s promise<\/a> to deport 1 million immigrants in one year, ICE has carried out large-scale raids in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas, and other states with high immigrant populations, often targeting cities that tout immigrant-friendly policy and openly reject local law enforcement cooperation with ICE.<\/p>\n At the same time, the administration has canceled or severely limited programs that allow immigrants to be in the country legally. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and other humanitarian parole programs are set to end later this year. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is suspended indefinitely.<\/p>\n ICE arrests are up nationwide, including here in the commonwealth. There have been 13 daily arrests on average since Trump\u2019s inauguration, an increase of 249% from 2024, a New York Times analysis found<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the nearby Lehigh Valley, ICE arrested 17 people in June who were working on an unoccupied property for \u201cimmigration violations<\/a>.\u201d That same month, 14 people were arrested<\/a> in the Pittsburgh area and three<\/a> in northeast Pennsylvania during similar raids.<\/p>\n Norristown, in Montgomery County, has also been particularly hard hit by raids<\/a> and arrests<\/a>.<\/p>\n While large-scale arrest operations have not been the norm in Berks, there are other ways ICE has been carrying out Trump\u2019s immigration policies in the county.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve had clients indicate that ICE has gone to their workplace \u2026 but we haven’t had anyone tell us that they were detained,\u201d Bridget Cambria, attorney for Aldea – the People\u2019s Justice Center, told Spotlight PA. \u201cThey were either going or had gone to the workplace, but no large-scale raids, as you see on TV, as they’re sort of promoting to scare people.\u201d<\/p>\n Something new Cambria has noticed is people being detained at the Berks County Courthouse after their hearings for a broad range of criminal offenses, from minor ones, like traffic violations and disorderly conduct, to more serious crimes.<\/p>\n She noted one instance in which a client had a criminal case dismissed but was still picked up by ICE because they did not have permanent status.<\/p>\n One immigration rights advocate in Reading, who asked to remain anonymous because she is a permanent resident in the process of applying for U.S. citizenship, said she has not heard about ICE raids in Reading. But since the beginning of the Trump administration, she says more than 10 of her neighbors have moved away.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this happens here, where we can speak the language and with a city mayor who lets us know \u2018Hey, I\u2019m with you,\u2019 how do others who live in places where they know they are not welcome feel?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In regular meetings, she hears from members in the community who have concerns about ICE and immigration policies. She said people have told her about ICE’s presence in parts of Reading, and from one bodega owner who felt \u201cpowerlessness\u201d after an agent inspected his kitchen looking for a former employee.<\/p>\n Commonwealth Media Services<\/p>\n Reading Mayor Eddie MoranDiffering law enforcement approaches<\/p>\n Public officials in Reading \u2014 where 21.5% of people were born outside of the United States, according to 2024 census data<\/a> \u2014 say they won\u2019t help ICE carry out raids or make arrests.<\/p>\n In the weeks after Trump took office, Reading Mayor Eddie Moran said<\/a> city police would not enforce immigration laws.<\/p>\n \u201cPublic safety in Reading depends on trust between our residents and law enforcement,\u201d Moran said in a statement. He added that he supports efforts to remove violent criminals from the streets, but has serious concerns about how the federal government plans to carry out the deportation of nonviolent individuals.<\/p>\n Reading Police Chief Eli V\u00e1zquez echoed the mayor. \u201cWe don’t do that. It’s not our job. That’s a federal job, and we don’t want to damage relationships as well,\u201d V\u00e1zquez told Spotlight PA.<\/p>\n V\u00e1zquez said city police would not participate in operations or be part of briefings, but \u201cwould not get in the way\u201d if ICE comes to Reading to carry out arrests, \u201cbecause it would be against the law for us to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n But the department would not facilitate access to private property if ICE requested it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf ICE has a warrant, that’s for them to coordinate and figure out,\u201d V\u00e1zquez said.<\/p>\n However, if a person is arrested by Reading police for a reason besides immigration, they would be processed at the Berks County Jail, which cooperates with ICE<\/a>. There, county employees will ask ICE if it wants the jail to temporarily hold a person who doesn\u2019t have legal status so the detainee can be transferred to federal custody.<\/p>\n Other municipalities in Berks County are also more open to cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities.<\/p>\n![\"Reading](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Y2FzL2Z4Y3ItZjk3Ny1rMGs2LWY5dGcuanBlZw==.jpeg\" "\\"Reading")
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![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Y2FzL2JueGctMHMyeS1hYTlhLTMxdDUuanBlZw==.jpeg\" "\\"Supporters")
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