Physical confrontations broke out between police officers and immigration protesters last night in Center City. Philadelphia is now one of five cities about to receive tactical ICE units known as “special response teams,” which will drive a surge in raids.
In the wake of President Trump’s controversial deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles, questions loomed about the city of Philadelphia’s response.
City officials declined to comment on preparations when asked on Monday, and now Philadelphia is caught in the crosshairs of a federal agenda that appears to be escalating immigration crackdowns.
As a city previously on Trump’s hit list for “obstructing” federal immigration laws, Philadelphia has been targeted for being a so-called “sanctuary” city and not explicitly complying with ICE.
ICE raids have continued ramping up throughout the country; CBS reported that ICE has made more than 100,000 arrests during Trump’s second term so far.
Several such arrests have occurred in the Philadelphia area. Last week, a raid occurred in Norristown, and Philadelphia ICE has released information about numerous other deportations throughout the past few months.
According to an interview with an unnamed “prominent activist” in Philadelphia Magazine, local organizers were monitoring the situation in Los Angeles, and protesters were prepared to combat ICE both metaphorically and physically.
Philly Daily asked multiple city officials about preparations for larger-scale protests this week, but only the Philadelphia Police Department responded.
“While we do not comment on hypothetical situations, we continuously monitor events locally and nationally to ensure we are prepared for any scenario,” said Sergeant Eric Gripp. “As with all demonstrations, our priority is to facilitate peaceful protest, prevent violence or disorder, and protect the rights of all residents, businesses, and participants.”
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office did not respond independently, forwarding the police department’s statement without further comment.
On Monday, Philadelphia protests began. Demonstrators gathered on Independence Mall to stand in solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles. At least 50 people attended the rally, which was organized by SEIU Local 32BJ, a national property service workers’ union.
Another round of protests occurred yesterday, and as the day progressed, the demonstrations escalated. Videos show police officers hitting participants with batons and barreling them out of the way with bikes. Police said they told the crowd to disperse multiple times, but protesters ignored the orders and continued blocking traffic, leading to the escalation of 15 arrests. Though some protesters were unclear on what they had done wrong.
Now that Philadelphia has been singled out for special ICE tactical units, there is a high probability that tensions will flare, as immigrants fear for their safety and some residents object to the intensified surveillance.
As seen in Los Angeles, President Trump has already sent federal forces to control protests without state approval. An important West Coast update is that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sued the administration for “unlawfully” bypassing the California governor’s jurisdiction.
It remains to be seen whether Los Angeles will serve as a blueprint for the Trump Administration’s response to public unrest in cities nationwide, such as Philadelphia.
