Volunteers flock to immigration courts to support migrants arrested in the hallways
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
A diverse group — faith leaders, college students, grandmothers, retired lawyers, and professors — has been showing up at immigration courts across the nation to escort immigrants at risk of being detained for deportation by masked ICE officials. They're giving families moral and logistical support and bearing witness as the people are taken away.
Advertisement
The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project was inundated by so many community members wanting to help that they made a volunteer training video, created 'Know Your Rights' sheets in several languages, and started a Google sheet where people sign up for shifts, said Stephanie Gai, a staff attorney with the Seattle-based legal services nonprofit.
Advertisement
'We could not do it without them,' Gai said. 'Some volunteers request time off work so they can come in and help.'
Robby Rohr, a retired nonprofit director, said she volunteers regularly.
'Being here makes people feel they are remembered and recognized,' she said, 'It's such a bureaucratic and confusing process. We try to help them through it.'
Volunteers and legal aid groups have long provided free legal orientation in immigration court, but the arrests have posed new challenges. Since May, the government has been asking judges to dismiss deportation cases.
Once the judge agrees, ICE officials arrest them in the hallways and put them in fast-track deportation proceedings, no matter which legal immigration pathway they may have been pursuing. Once in custody, it's often harder to find or afford a lawyer. Immigration judges are executive branch employees, and while some have resisted Homeland Security lawyers' dismissal orders in some cases, many are granted.
Masked ICE agents grabbed the Colombian man and led him into the hallway. A volunteer took his backpack to give to his family as he was taken away. Other cases on the day's docket involved immigrants who didn't show up. Parchert granted 'removal in absentia' orders, enabling ICE to arrest them later.
When asked about these arrests and the volunteers at immigration courts, a senior spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security said ICE is once again implementing the rule of law by reversing '[President Joe] Biden's catch and release policy that allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to be let loose on American streets.'
Some volunteers have recorded arrests in courtroom hallways, traumatic scenes that are proliferating online. How many similar scenes are happening nationwide remains unclear. The Executive Office for Immigration Review has not released numbers of cases dismissed or arrests made at or near immigration courts.
Advertisement
While most volunteers have done this work without incident, some have been arrested for interfering with ICE agents. New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested after locking arms with a person in a failed attempt to prevent his detention. Lander's wife, attorney Meg Barnette, had just joined him in walking migrants from a courtroom to the elevator.
The volunteers' act of witnessing has proven to be important as people disappear into a detention system that can seem chaotic, leaving families without any information about their whereabouts for days on end.
In a waiting room serving New York City immigration courtrooms, a Spanish-speaking woman with long, dark, curly hair was sitting anxiously with her daughter after she and her husband had separate hearings. Now he was nowhere to be found.
The Rev. Fabián Arias, a volunteer court observer, said the woman, whose first name is Alva, approached him asking, 'Where is my husband?' She showed him his photo.
'ICE detained him,' Arias told her, and tried to comfort her as she trembled, later welling up with tears. A judge had not dismissed the husband's case, giving him until October to find a lawyer. But that didn't stop ICE agents from handcuffing him and taking him away as soon as he stepped out of court. The news sparked an outcry by immigration advocates, city officials, and a congressman. At a news conference, she gave only her first name and asked that her daughter's be withheld.
Brianna Garcia, a college student in El Paso, Texas, said she's been attending immigration court hearings for weeks where she informs people of their rights and then records ICE agents taking people into custody.
Advertisement
'We escort people so they're not harassed and help people memorize important phone numbers, since their belongings are confiscated by ICE,' she said.
Paris Thomas began volunteering at the Denver immigration court after hearing about the effort through a network of churches. Wearing a straw hat, he recently waited in the midday heat for people to arrive for afternoon hearings.
Thomas handed people a small paper flyer listing their rights in Spanish on one side and English on the other. One man walking with a woman told him, 'Thank you. Thank you.' Another man gave him a hug.
Denver volunteer Don Marsh said they offer to walk people to their cars after court appearances, so they can contact attorneys and family if ICE arrests them.
Marsh said he's never done anything like this before but wants to do something to preserve the nation's 'rule of law' now that unidentifiable government agents are 'snatching' people off the streets.
'If we're not all safe, no one's safe,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
3 minutes ago
- The Hill
Switzerland, the land of luxury brands, could see prices skyrocket from Trump's 39% tariffs
Prices for the eponymous Swiss watches, Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese could skyrocket in a week as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war. Switzerland, home to some the world's most recognizable luxury brands, now faces an upcoming 39% tariff from the U.S. Industry groups on Friday warned that both Swiss companies and American consumers could pay the price. Trump signed an executive order Thursday placing tariffs on many U.S. trade partners — the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and alliances — that's set to take effect next Thursday. The order applies to 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands. In Switzerland, officials failed to reach a final agreement with the U.S. after Trump initially threatened a 31% tariff in April. Swiss companies will now have one of the steepest export duties — only Laos, Myanmar and Syria had higher figures, at 40-41%. The 27-member EU bloc and Britain, meanwhile, negotiated 15% and 10% tariffs, respectively. Figure came as a surprise The Swiss government spent Friday — the country's National Day — reeling from the news. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said that the 39% figure was a surprise, because negotiators had hashed out a deal last month with the Trump administration that apparently wasn't approved by the American leader himself. 'We will now analyze the situation and try to find a solution,' Keller-Sutter told reporters. 'I can't say what the outcome will be, but it will certainly damage the economy.' The U.S. goods trade deficit with Switzerland was $38.5 billion last year, a 56.9% increase over 2023, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Keller-Sutter said that she believes Trump ultimately chose the 39% tariff, because the figure rounded up from the $38.5 billion goods trade deficit. 'It was clear that the president was focused on the trade deficit and only this issue,' she said. Time is ticking for watch companies For Swiss watch companies, whose products already come with price tags in the tens of thousands — if not the hundreds of thousands — of euros, a timepiece for an arm could cost a leg, too, come next week. The 39% figure was especially galling to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, because Switzerland in 2024 got rid of import tariffs on all industrial goods. 'As Switzerland has eliminated all custom duties on imported industrial products, there is no problem with reciprocity between Switzerland and the U.S.,' the federation said in a statement. 'The tariffs constitute a severe problem for our bilateral relations.' Swiss watch exports were already facing a prolonged slowdown, with significant declines in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, according to the federation's June figures, the most recent available. Swatch and Rolex declined to comment Friday. Representatives for Patek Philippe, IWC and Breitling didn't respond to requests for comment. Sour taste for Swiss chocolatiers Multinational chocolatiers Nestlé and Lindt & Sprüngli said they have production lines in the U.S. for American customers. But small- and medium-sized Swiss companies are predicted to suffer under the tariffs. Roger Wehrli, chief executive of the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers. also known as Chocosuisse, said Switzerland exports 7% of its chocolate production to the U.S. It's not just the 39% tariff that's the issue. Once the manufacturers factor in the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Swiss francs ($1 to 1.23 francs on Friday), Wehrli said, it's close to a 50% increase in costs for the Swiss companies. And that's a big number to pass on to American consumers, if the already-slim margins aren't further reduced. 'I expect that our industry will lose customers in the United States, and that sales volumes will decrease heavily,' he told The Associated Press. Wehrli said that he wants Swiss chocolatiers to sell to other markets around the globe to make up the difference. Still, he hopes American customers remember that Swiss quality beats cheaper quantity. 'I think even if prices for Swiss chocolate increase due to the very high tariffs, I think it's worth (it) to buy Swiss chocolate,' he said. 'It's worth (it) to really eat it consciously and to really enjoy it instead of eating a lot.' Tough pill for Swiss pharmaceuticals Swiss pharmaceuticals powerhouse Roche says that it's working to ensure its patients and customers worldwide have access to their medications and diagnostics amid the Trump tariff war. 'While we believe pharmaceuticals and diagnostics should be exempt from tariffs to protect patient access, supply chains and ultimately future innovation, we are prepared for potential tariffs being implemented and confident in managing any impacts,' the statement said. The company in April announced that it plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, creating 12,000 jobs. The company already employs more than 25,000 people in the U.S. Meanwhile, Novartis, another major Swiss pharmaceutical firm, said in a statement that it was reviewing Trump's executive order. 'We remain committed to finding ways to improve access and affordability for patients,' it said.
The Hill
3 minutes ago
- The Hill
How America weathers its toughest storms: resilience
Alarmist headlines about America's supposed unraveling have become a daily part of life. We've been through the trauma of COVID and the uncertainty of trade wars, seen hyper-partisan politics and changing attitudes about governance, and are coping with rising loneliness, deaths of despair and fraying institutional trust. But in certain circles, it has become fashionable to forecast doom, citing our problems as proof that the very fabric of American society is coming apart. Fortunately, in many critical areas, the data tell a more complex and hopeful story — and the reason why is right in front of us. The economy is managing a year of uncertainty fairly well. Unemployment is low. Inflation has eased. America's social discourse may not always seem peaceful, but incarceration and homicide rates have declined. Even mass shootings, while still tragically present (and by no means something that should be ignored) have decreased. These are not guarantees of sustained progress, but they do point toward a time-tested phenomenon: When the U.S. economic and social fabric is tested, it tends to hold. We tend to bounce back. America is hard to break. What explains this remarkable resilience? It is tempting to credit policymakers, and leadership does matter a great deal. But resilience is embedded deeper in the American design. It's in the software of our institutions, our culture and our decentralized way of solving problems — specific features that even now are helping to absorb shocks, adapt and even thrive amid disruption. Our founders understood this, embedding resilience not just in our Constitution, but in the operating assumptions of a pluralistic society. Resilient systems share common traits. They are decentralized. Their institutions are diverse and varied. Individuals, as well as these institutions, have plenty of autonomy. And they tolerate — even encourage — bottom-up innovation. American federalism exemplifies all of this. Our states are not just administrative units; they are laboratories of democracy. California may try one path on energy policy; Texas, another. Successes are studied, failures iterated upon. Despite opposing public stances, behind the scenes, the two states may learn from one another and eventually, perhaps quietly, adapt. Better yet, other states can see what's working best. It's institutional evolution through experimentation. Think about one of America's widest-reaching problems, and one seemingly beyond the ability of Washington policymakers alone to solve: crippling housing costs. Spurred by concerned residents of their own communities, countless municipalities and states are working on it, each trying different approaches. Mistakes will be made. Workable solutions are slowly emerging. Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics, championed this power of 'polycentric' governance. Economist Edmund Phelps, in ' Mass Flourishing,' highlights the unique dynamism of American culture: Ordinary people, not just elites or credentialed gatekeepers, are given the space to try, fail and try again. We don't need bureaucratic innovation boards to vet good ideas. Through voluntary exchange and decentralized trial-and-error, we find what works together. This spirit isn't just cultural; it's structural. Bankruptcy laws, financial markets and legal frameworks support entrepreneurial risk-taking in ways few other countries do. It's no coincidence that America remains the birthplace of more transformative businesses than Europe or Asia. Resilience is about survival — as well as the capacity to bounce back. After Hurricane Katrina, my colleagues spent time studying Louisiana's recovery. We saw communities that did not wait for permission to rebuild. Civil society mobilized. Neighbors helped neighbors. Locals found creative solutions. That's resilience in motion, powered not by bureaucracy but by civic imagination. But resilience, like any software, can be corrupted. Nations fail, empires crumble, and communities, including some in the U.S., fracture. It requires stewardship. When we stifle experimentation, centralize power excessively or undermine institutions that enable pluralism, we erode the very systems that have given us the power to withstand so much. American dynamism is not guaranteed. But it is embedded in our design — if we choose to protect and nurture it.
Boston Globe
3 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Congressional Democrats threaten investigation if Harvard makes deal with Trump
Harvard officials and members of the Trump administration have The letter from members of Congress comes days after the New York Times reported that people familiar with the the Trump-Harvard negotiations said the university was Advertisement The federal government announced on June 30 that Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act based on its lack of urgency while responding to allegations of antisemitism on campus. Members of Congress said on Friday that instead of settling with the Trump administration, Harvard should settle with the students alleging lack of protection from antisemitism. 'If these actions are rooted in students' concerns of legal compliance with civil rights law, any settlement must be with those students individually or as a class,' the letter said. Advertisement Bowing to political pressure from the White House would merit congressional oversight and inquiry, the lawmakers said in their letter. 'We urge Harvard to defend its institutional independence and academic integrity from this blatant attempt at political intimidation, and we reserve our right to engage in congressional oversight should the university fail to do so,' said California Democratic Rep. Sam Liccardo, who signed the letter. UPenn officials did not agree to payments, and Columbia said it will pay about $200 million to the federal government. But Harvard could set an example of refusing to acquiesce to the federal government's pressure campaign, the congressional alumni group said in their Friday letter. 'Capitulating to politically motivated demands from the Executive Branch risks setting a precedent that could severely undermine the independence not only of Harvard but of educational institutions nationwide,' the letter said. The 13 other co-signers include Senators Van Hollen, Schiff, and Gallego and Representatives Ruiz, Garamendi, Scott, Takano, Himes, Castro, Hernandez, Ivey, Min, and Rivas. Harvard officials have shared virtually no information about talks. A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members of Congress said in their letter that they're also asking the university to clarify details of the negotiations, such as how many meetings have taken place and what the Trump administration has demanded. Advertisement The lawmakers said the university has until August 13 to provide them with more details of negotiations. 'Should Harvard pursue a settlement perceived to be a response to political intimidation rather than a good-faith resolution of a legitimate legal dispute, Congress retains both the authority and the obligation to investigate,' the letter said. Claire Thornton can be reached at
