Democrats in the Arizona Legislature are responding to a series of reports of federal agents showing up to immigration court to make arrests.
Video posted by the rights group Puente AZ shows a woman and two small children being led away off the sidewalk by armed, masked men wearing police vests. The group says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been showing up in large numbers at the Phoenix Immigration Court over the last two days and detaining families.
As the Arizona Republic reports, about a dozen people were handcuffed and taken away Wednesday, after having their case dismissed at the behest of government attorneys. Many entered the U.S. through the CBP One app. The Biden-era program allowed migrants to apply to enter the country to pursue asylum claims — a legal right under U.S. law and international treaties.
In April, asylum seekers who had used the program began receiving emails from the Department of Homeland Security saying they had a week to leave the U.S. — some received the notice despite having pending asylum cases or other court dates.
In a statement about the arrests, Arizona House Democratic Leadership members Oscar De Los Santos, Nancy Gutierrez, Quantá Crews and Stacey Travers said parents were arrested in front of their children and urged immigrants not to attend court hearings without legal representation.
“These actions go against the principles of due process, human dignity, and democracy,” their statement read. “To everyone who is navigating the immigration system, please do not go to court alone. Bring an attorney if you can. If not, bring a trusted friend, a faith leader, or a family member who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. We need witnesses. We need documentation. We need each other.”
ICE did not confirm the number of arrests or what happened to children whose parents were arrested. In an email, an agency spokesperson said ICE and its law enforcement partners are arresting people who are eligible for a fast-tracked deportation process called expedited removal.
“An immigration judge has reviewed DHS’s motion to dismiss proceedings and agreed that dismissal is appropriate in these cases. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if removable by final order, removed from the United States,” the spokesperson said. “Those who were arrested are going into ICE custody pending removal from the United States.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct what day the Arizona Republic reported about a dozen people were handcuffed and taken away.
