ICE agents descended on an elderly Indonesian father and his son outside the Philadelphia courthouse earlier this month, taking both into custody in an incident that advocates say underscores the lack of local protection for immigrants.⁠
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They say seeking justice at the courthouse now carries potentially life-altering consequences for migrants amid an ICE focus on the property.⁠
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The 76-year-old father faced no criminal charges at court that day. He had gone to the Criminal Justice Center as a complaining witness after he said his 47-year-old son assaulted him, leaving him with a black eye and a cut on his chin.⁠
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The father decided not to continue pursuing charges, and went to court with his son that day, April 7, hoping to end the legal proceedings.⁠
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Today the younger man remains in immigration detention more than two weeks after being arrested by ICE. The father was released by the agency not long after being taken into custody.⁠
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Groups including No ICE Philly, which has repeatedly called on Sheriff Rochelle Bilal to ban ICE officers from the courthouse, say the case exemplifies how immigrant witnesses, complainants, and family members are put at risk of deportation by participating in the administration of justice.⁠
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Keep reading at the link in our bio.⁠
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📝 by Jeff Gammage / Staff⁠
📸 by Jose F. Moreno / Staff