Rhode Islanders react to ICE agents attempting to detain person at courthouse
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — NBC 10 has been getting reports of ICE agents showing up outside courthouses across Rhode Island in recent days and weeks to arrest undocumented immigrants.
Advocates have been tracking ICE vehicles and then posting in a "Deportation Defense Network" online chat.
"I am local, and I'm worried about them taking people that shouldn't be taking them," a volunteer working with the network told NBC 10 News. "They're just taking people off the street, taking them from court, and it's just humane. They're sitting in their cars for hours just watching and filming us along with trying to get like just bait out people basically."
He asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.
A separate volunteer who also asked to remain anonymous told NBC 10 News in an interview that the volunteers are there to observe and alert the community of ICE's presence.
They do not interfere or intervene in any way.
On Friday morning, observers outside the Superior Court bulding in Newport spotted what they believe were ICE vehicles.
It did not appear that anyone was apprehended.
ICE agents were seen running after two people of interest into the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence on Thursday.
Stephen Dennis, a Rhode Island attorney, saw the incident firsthand.
"Out of nowhere, ICE agents started chasing individuals, two young men, through the building from the back to the front. Started screaming, yelling at them to stop," he said. "They had masks on, they had guns, and they breached the whole security around the court and ran right through, ran right past me, and several of us had to jump out of the way."
Last week, a man previously arrested by ICE outside the Portsmouth Police Department was due in Newport Superior Court but did not show up.
Advocates say ICE agents were outside court on that day as well.
The arrest was caught on surveillance cameras outside the station and released to the public from Portsmouth police.
A warrant for the arrest of 29-year-old Josue Perez Gomez was later issued.
Across the country, some immigrants have been skipping their court hearings out of fear that ICE agents will arrest and detain them.
"I've had some that don't want to pursue claims because they would have to show up at court," Dennis said when asked if he has clients who are concerned about showing up to court out of fear of ICE agents.
Advocates are asking the Rhode Island court system to allow people to hold their hearings virtually so that they don’t have to worry about showing up at court and finding ICE there to detain them.
"They have an absolute right to be heard in these proceedings. In workers' comp cases we don't make a distinction whether you're a documented or an undocumented. So they're entitled to it," Dennis said. "I think it's ridiculous and immature that we don't allow it."
Some Rhode Island Republicans are staunchly against the idea of virtual court hearings.
"For me that would feel a bit obstructionist for the judiciary to do that," Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz said.
"It's not just bad policy. It's deliberate. It's dangerous. And it's a calculated attempt to shield criminal illegal aliens from deportation," Anthony d'Ellena said.
"These people have nothing to fear if they're here legally," he said when asked about ICE agents detaining immigrants with legal status. "If you're here illegally, you deserve to be deported. You broke the law coming into this country and you need to leave."
The discussion around state immigration policy comes as there are renewed concerns about federal funding being withheld from Rhode Island.
In August, the Department of Justice released a memo threatening to cut off federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" who they "identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws."
Rhode Island is on the list.
"I certainly don't think that the administration would look at the judiciary here in Rhode Island and say, oh, well, that's okay. They would look at it just the same as the cities and towns who count themselves as sanctuary cities," de la Cruz said. "It's like you know, don't play cute games. The administration has said if you try to obstruct us we will halt funding and if we don't want funding halted to our state then we need to comply with federal law."
"Rhode Island refuses to follow federal law and should not receive a dime federal funding if we do not comply," D'Ellena said, adding, "President Trump's Feb. 1st cut off on funding to sanctuary states is exactly what we need" to compel the Rhode Island state legislature to adjust the state's sanctuary city policies.
"Rhode Islanders pay federal taxes to participate in federal programs, and we fully expect those dollars to flow back to Rhode Island through those federal programs," Gov. Dan McKee's office said in a statement to NBC 10. "Attempts to arbitrarily withhold these taxpayer funds have been repeatedly struck down by the courts."
