Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to clarify Bhutanese refugees began arriving in the U.S. in 2008. Two more permanent residents of the United States on the path to citizenship living in Dauphin County have been detained by ICE, according to an advocacy group that staged a news conference Thursday. The men, members of the Dauphin County Bhutanese-Nepali community, were detained at their homes about an hour apart Saturday morning, according to Youraj Koirala, chairman of the Bhutanese Community of Central PA. They were eventually taken to the Moshannon Valley detention facility, Koirala confirmed as of Wednesday. Koirala declined to share the mens’ names or other identifiable information to prevent possible retaliation. Both men had criminal records in the U.S., but had completed their sentences long before being deported, according to Koirala who did not provide additional information about the convictions.The detentions renewed public cries against the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE,) especially from Bhutanese residents of Dauphin County who have lived in America for years. The Bhutanese government began a campaign of ethnic cleansing and expulsions in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which led to Nepali-speaking Bhutanese seeking refugee status in the U.S. beginning in 2008. In recent years, Dauphin County became a hub for the disenfranchised population to set down roots. That changed under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has made a point of detaining and deporting green card holding Bhutanese refugees, Koirala said. Many members of the Bhutanese community entered the U.S. through legitimate legal processes, but Trump’s immigration crackdown has now ensnared long-time legal residents across the nation, who in many cases received no explanation as to why their permits and visas are being revoked.Since early 2025 about 20 Bhutanese refugees living in the Harrisburg area have been deported, Koirala said.Koirala, joined by Robin Gurung, co-executive director of Asian Refugees United, spoke to reporters and members of the public in the Dauphin County Administrative Building lobby Thursday morning demanding an end to detentions with dubious due process. They said many ICE agents are operating on administrative warrants, which are papers issued by federal agencies to arrest people on civil violations such as immigration removal.Those differ from judicial warrants — warrants signed by a judge after law enforcement officers prove why someone should be arrested. Judicial warrants allow law enforcement to forcibly enter homes to make arrests while administrative warrants don’t. ICE knocked on the door of the first man’s Swatara Township home about 7:55 a.m., but the man refused to leave his home without seeing a judicial warrant. ICE didn’t show the man a warrant, Koirala said, so he called the police. Once local law enforcement arrived, he opened the door. It’s unclear if he stepped outside or not. ICE agents were rough with him as they put him in handcuffs and escorted him away, Koirala said. Around an hour later, ICE knocked on the door of a second Dauphin County resident’s home. It’s unclear in what municipality he lived, but it was a Harrisburg mailing address and not in the city boundaries. The man’s family answered the door, and ICE agents told them there was an issue with the man’s green card and that he needed to appear before an immigration judge. In this situation, the family did not ask to see a warrant and allowed ICE agents inside. At first, the Bhutanese Community of Central PA could not locate the second man, so they asked Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas to press the matter through Sen. John Fetterman, who made an inquiry and located him. The first man left behind a wife and three children, the oldest of whom is 10. The second man left behind his nephew, who functioned as a caretaker and assisted with various medical issues. After the second man was located, family and friends shared his medical needs with ICE. Both men held green cards, or permanent residency cards, which authorizes a non-citizen to permanently live and work in the United States. They can typically apply for citizenship after five years of continuous residence. Permanent residency status does not expire, although the physical cards must be renewed every 10 years. Koirala encouraged Dauphin County residents to learn about the rights of those staying in America, and the differences between judicial and administrative warrants. He asked residents to stand up for and educate one-another. Douglas announced he is drafting policy that would prevent Dauphin County Prison from releasing inmates into ICE custody unless provided a judicial warrant, which he would offer for discussion and a potential vote at the April 22 prison board meeting. State Sen. Patty Kim and state Rep. Dave Madsen both attended and lended their support to Koirala and Gurung’s message.