PHOENIXVILLE — Masked and unidentified federal immigration officers were observed forcibly removing an unknown individual from their vehicle Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 3, in the parking lot of the Foodery grocery store in the 300 block of Bridge Street. Witnesses report that agents with Enforcement and Removal Operations, a division of Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE), approached a red SUV in a parking lot of Taylor Alley and then later returned to that same location to arrest a second person in a green SUV. The parking lot is located directly across from the Phoenixville Borough Hall, police station and courthouse. The arrests come as tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement continue to rise across the country. ICE and other federal agents have ramped up deportation operations at the direction of President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In a telephone conversation on Wednesday morning, Feb. 4, Phoenixville Police Chief Brian Marshall said his department is not typically notified before or after ICE activity within their jurisdiction, but did confirm that local officers responded to the incident on Tuesday after receiving multiple emergency calls. Marshall said federal agents requested an ambulance dispatch to treat the person who was detained after they suffered a laceration to their hand from glass that was broken during the struggle. Employees of the Foodery also called 911 to report the activity and request that the federal agents be removed from the business’ private property. The police chief also confirmed that local officials were not aware of the identity of the individual who was detained, or where they were taken, and checks of the local district court did not reveal any local charges or appearances by the individual in question. Following the incident on Tuesday, Phoenixville Mayor Peter J. Urscheler issued a formal written statement to clarify the role of the local police department in federal immigration enforcement, including reassurances that the department’s mission is to serve all residents regardless of immigration status. “We understand that there are many questions about the role of the Phoenixville Borough Police Department when it comes to immigration enforcement. We want to take a moment to clarify what our local law enforcement does and does not do regarding this matter,” Ursheler said. The statement went on to make clear that while the police department’s function is to enforce all local and state laws to ensure public safety, investigate crimes, and protect victims and witnesses regardless of their immigration status. Ursheler said that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government and that local officers do not enforce immigration laws or inquire about immigration status during the course of routine law enforcement activity. The department also does not conduct immigration raids or detain individuals solely on their immigration status. “Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and local police departments, including Phoenixville, are not required to enforce federal immigration laws unless they have a formal agreement to do so. The Phoenixville Borough Police Department has never had such an agreement and remains focused on its mission of serving and protecting all members of our community,” the mayor said. David Byerman, chief executive officer for Chester County, said the county is working hard to ensure that any efforts take into account all those people affected by the situation. “Chester County is taking substantive steps every day to address the important issue of immigration,” said Byerman. “Our Immigration Working Group brings together county departments — including prison, emergency services, human services, and health — with nonprofit leaders, mushroom farmers, and human rights advocates,” he said on Wednesday. This working group shares information and dispels disinformation, identifies new channels of communication, and targets issues that need to be elevated to the commissioners as well as to state legislative and federal delegations, Byerman stated. Chesco’s CEO said this effort is working to strengthen community partnerships while coordinating county response. Chester County Commissioners’ Chairman Josh Maxwell issued a statement Wednesday to the Daily Local regarding Tuesday’s incidents in Phoenixville. “ICE is separating families and targeting people contributing in earnest to our society. The agency was set up to track down terrorists and drug cartels; instead, it’s being abused by going after restaurant workers and landscapers. Its effect on Chester County is just beginning as the scars from the trauma to our communities, and most importantly, the people affected, will last for years. “The founders intentionally left enforcement of local laws to individual municipalities for that very reason. The federal government should not be able to come into our towns and violate local laws without repercussions.” Commissioner Marian Moskowitz noted Wednesday that an ICE presence isn’t new to Chester County. But added that the latest ICE efforts are raising real concerns. “ICE has worked in Chester County for many years, historically focusing on individuals who committed violent crimes and were in this country illegally,” Moskowitz said on Wednesday. However, the commissioner said ICE’s actions appear to extend well beyond that scope more recently. “We are seeing enforcement efforts that raise serious concerns about due process, proportionality, and humane treatment. As widely reported in the media, there have been troubling instances across the country in which U.S. citizens and non-violent individuals have been detained, mistreated, or swept up without clear justification,” she said. State Rep. Paul Friel, D-26th Dist., whose district includes Phoenixville, stated on social media Tuesday after the arrests. “It is deeply concerning to see this type of hostile behavior from masked and unidentified federal agents in our community,” Friel’s statement said. “Immigration enforcement should always be done with order, as well as a high regard for human dignity and community welfare. I will continue to advocate and use all the tools I have to fight for due process, common sense, and the civil rights of all of our neighbors. “One of the tools I have as a lawmaker is the ability to put forward legislation. I’ve proposed several bills to hold ICE and other federal agents accountable as well as to ensure good law enforcement practices. “I urge House and Senate leadership to bring these and other related bills up for a vote. We must rise to the challenge of protecting Pennsylvanians.” Residents say reports of ICE activity have noticeably increased in recent months, describing what feels like weekly occurrences of posts made to local community pages and websites to announce immigration enforcement activity and warn community members of pending raids. According to online records, no Chester County law enforcement agencies maintain a formal immigration agreement with the federal government, though reports of enforcement activity have increased over recent months. A written inquiry into any formal coordination or correspondence between county government officials and federal immigration enforcement was not immediately returned as of midday Wednesday. Michael N. Price and Daily Local staff writer Jen Samuel contributed to this story.