Tense moments unfolded this Wednesday in the vicinity of an immigration court in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, when an undetermined number of migrants were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they exited an immigration court.
In the surroundings of the court, moments of tension unfolded after relatives of the detainees clashed with the authorities, which was further intensified by the presence of several activists holding signs.
According to ABC 15 Arizona, individuals reported that they had approached the authorities regarding asylum cases, which were dismissed.
Questioned by Newsweek, a spokesperson for ICE, who was not named, stated that the agency does not comment on or confirm ongoing or future operations, aiming to protect its staff.
ICE "is fulfilling its mission to identify and remove foreign criminals and others who have violated the immigration laws of our country. All foreigners who violate U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention, and, if determined, deportation by final order, expulsion from the United States, regardless of their nationality," the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a lawyer told the Tucson Sentinel that several people were arrested on Tuesday who believed their cases had been dismissed.
Newsweek quoted immigration attorney Isaac Ortega, who stated that one of the detainees was his client. He claimed that the agents who arrested him only identified themselves as federal agents, without specifying which agency they belonged to, and that they wore masks to conceal their identities.
According to what Ortega's client told the media, he was transferred to a processing center in Phoenix; he was not clear until Tuesday night whether he would then be moved to an immigration detention center.
"My client has no criminal record; he entered the United States through the CBP program," said the lawyer, who added that his client was preparing for a credible fear interview when he was detained.
Meanwhile, cited by , attorney Eugene Delgado asserted that his client was arrested in the parking lot after a court hearing, by several agents dressed in black, including one who was carrying a long rifle.
Delgado fears that ICE is not considering whether migrants have criminal backgrounds before detaining them.
In light of the uncertainty, lawyers and activists recommend attending your appointments with a lawyer and also having emergency plans in place, such as keeping documents and copies in a safe location and everything related to your case.
Another recommendation is to have contact information for family members, your children's school, as well as information about any medications being taken, in case of a potential detention.
More ICE arrests were reported on the same day in other parts of the country
On the very same May 20, reports emerged of agents arresting individuals as they left their hearings in other courts. For instance, in Los Angeles, agents waited in the courtroom to notify their colleagues in the hallways whenever a case was dismissed.
Identified as Lindsay Toczylowski, the president and co-founder of Immigration Defenders also added that immigrants arrested after their cases were dismissed could be subjected "to an expedited deportation process and move toward deportations at full speed." The outlet also notes that similar reports have emerged in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Miami.
The immigration measures of the Trump administration
It is important to remember that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reversed a policy from the Obama era in January, which aimed to limit law enforcement actions in sensitive locations such as courthouses by ICE, allowing individuals to access essential services without fear of being detained.
At the beginning of the year, in order to expedite immigration arrests, the Trump administration has recruited, in addition to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), others from the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, the ATF, and even the FBI.
Mo Goldman, an immigration attorney in Tucson and Democratic candidate for Congress, advises immigrants going to court to do so accompanied by a lawyer, as well as a family member or trusted friend with legal status who can supervise and document everything that occurs.
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