2 days ago
Protestors claim ICE took family from their home in Southwest Detroit
Dozens gathered outside of the McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit Wednesday to show their support for undocumented immigrants. The demonstration comes after a handful of people were detained after a court hearing.
Meanwhile, People's Assembly — a coalition of more than two dozen Detroit-based immigration and human rights groups — alleges a raid happened this morning in Southwest Detroit. They say ICE took an entire family from their home, including a small child. According to People's Assembly, five or maybe six people showed up for their scheduled immigration hearing Wednesday morning.
They say the cases were dismissed immediately in the courtroom and they were placed on expedited removal.
CBS Detroit is still working to confirm the exact number of people who may have been detained and placed on expedited removal.
More than a dozen protestors with People's Assembly rallied with signs and drums outside of the federal building.
"We know that it has been happening across the country. So, this is not something new. So, it was important that we show up to ask for the due process to be respected," Dr. Seydi Sarr, a protester and community activist, said.
Expedited removal is a process U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses to quickly deport noncitizens who are undocumented.
"They do not offer you any phone calls or any means to contact family or loved ones, and it's left in the dark. We've had many cases where folks, you know, if we hadn't been there, their families wouldn't have known that they got detained in the first place," Nelson Garay, with People's Assembly, said.
A spokesperson for People's Assembly says at least four of the people detained are from Venezuela. The Trump Administration recently terminated the protected status of Venezuelan nationals.
"This is happening every day, whether or not you observe it in your community or not, people are being snatched up, taken and having their due process rights stripped from them, whether or not they have legal status in this country or not. Should not be the issue," Garay said. "Every human being is entitled to due process under the Constitution and under general humanitarian law, and the fact that the Trump administration continues to scapegoat immigrants is only further evidence of the fascist agenda that we have to resist."
Protestors say the group is being used a scapegoat, but according to a senior spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, anyone who has illegally entered the United States within the past two years is subject to expedited removals.
