Immigration advocates protest ICE operations in Baltimore
Immigration advocates in Baltimore protested on Monday to oppose U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) operations.
Protesters met at McKeldin Plaza and marched to the George H. Fallon ICE Field Office in Baltimore. They blocked Calvert and Pratt streets on their way to Lombard and Charles streets, into the Hopkins plaza.
"They started, supposed to be going after violent criminals, but we've seen U.S. citizens, we've seen those who didn't have violence, be snatched up off the streets of cities all around the country," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said.
Immigration advocates plan Baltimore protests
Organizers of the weekly Eyes on ICE protests said the movement is about calling on the Trump administration to stop violating human rights.
According to organizers, the administration plans to spend $48 billion to expand immigration while also firing federal workers and cutting services that are vital for communities.
"Everyone who sets foot in this country is entitled to due process, and we are watching what ICE is doing, and we hope that someday they will be held accountable for their actions," said Amy Lee, from the Free State Coalition.
Among the crowd of protesters was Nilsa Yurivilca, who immigrated to the United States from Peru more than 10 years ago. She says many migrants are in search of a better life or opportunity.
"A lot of people who immigrate, it is not a choice," Yurivilca said. "They want to just find happiness, safety, and a better future for their future generation…I am an immigrant myself, and I fully feel the targeting of this administration."
In their call to action, the group said they are supporting migrants like Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Elsy Berrios, along with others.
Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March. He was returned to the U.S. on June 6 to face federal human smuggling charges.
Berrios was taken into custody by ICE in April. Videos of her arrest show agents smashing a car window and taking the 51-year-old into custody as her daughter watched.
Protest organizers said they will demand accountability over the "surveillance state that is enveloping our communities and threatening the privacy rights of human beings to exist free of intrusion and overreach from the State."
They also plan to call for accountability from ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the city always monitors protests like these. He acknowledged that the city has seen similar protests in the past that have not escalated.
Unrest over immigration enforcement in California
The protests in Baltimore came as unrest in Los Angeles, California, over ICE operations prompted President Trump to deploy the National Guard on June 8.
The protests, which began to escalate on Saturday, June 7, were sparked by dozens of ICE arrests in the city.
Large crowds of protestors clashed with local law enforcement on Saturday. Some were seen throwing rocks and other objects at police vehicles.
As of Monday, at least 39 people were arrested during the Los Angeles unrest, including one person who allegedly threw a molotov cocktail that hit three deputies.
Previous ICE protests in Baltimore
In March, community activists rallied outside of the Baltimore ICE field office on several occasions to speak out against conditions in holding facilities. Some protestors called the conditions "inhumane," saying migrants who were being held could not access showers, medicine, or proper sleeping arrangements.
"You're making some people sleep on the floor —men and women sleep on the floor. I heard a story that someone soiled themselves because they didn't have access to a bathroom," protestor Muller Paz said.
A spokesperson for ICE said the Baltimore Field Office only operates a holding room and said the facility is run in compliance with federal laws. They also said the ICE Health Service Corps was on site to provide medical services.
"In the event of a medical emergency, detainees are promptly transported to nearby hospitals to receive immediate and appropriate care," the agency said in a statement. "ICE remains dedicated to transparency and accountability in our operations."
Mayor defends Baltimore over "sanctuary jurisdiction" designation
In May, Mayor Scott responded to the Trump administration listing the city, along with nine other Maryland cities and eight counties, as "sanctuary jurisdictions."
The Department of Homeland Security published a list of states, cities, and counties accused of interfering with immigration law enforcement.
"To be clear: by definition, Baltimore is not a sanctuary city, because we do not have jurisdiction over our jails," Scott responded. "We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law."
According to an executive order by President Trump, a sanctuary jurisdiction is a location that "deliberately and shamefully obstructs federal immigration laws, endangering American communities."
In Maryland, the following locations were designated as sanctuary jurisdictions:
Cities
- Annapolis
- Baltimore City
- Cheverly
- College Park
- Edmonston
- Greenbelt
- Hyattsville
- Mount Rainier
- Rockville
- Tacoma Park
Counties
- Anne Arundel
- Baltimore
- Charles
- Howard
- Montgomery
- Prince George's
- Queen Anne's
- Talbot
In a response to the designation, Mayor Scott said Baltimore is "a welcoming city" for immigrants.
"We make no apologies for that," Scott said. "We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and we are not about to sell them out to this administration."
