Community leaders criticized ICE for arresting migrants during court hearings in San Antonio, calling it a violation of due process.
SAN ANTONIO — Monday, community leaders, legal advocates and voluteers spoke out against ICE arrests of people showing up for their court hearings at the San Antonio Immigration Court recently.
“This is a supposed to be a place where justice lives. Instead, we are watching as due process dies,” Jessica Solis, a local activist, said at the news conference outside the court Monday.
Wednesday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed dozens of migrants were taken into custody near the Immigration Court downtown. Thursday, KENS 5’s cameras captured at least nine people taken into custody by ICE agents.
The husband of one migrant told us she had no prior criminal history.
“My daughters are waiting for us at home,” He said. “I’ve got six girls, they depend on us.”
An ICE spokesperson confirmed the arrests are apart of a plan to reverse former President Biden’s so-called catch and release program. They are now utilizing expedited removals to allow fast track deportations for people who have been in the country for less than two years.
At Monday’s press conference, attorney Laura Flores-Dixit, with the San Antonio location of American Gateways, spoke about what organizers called the injustice of having agents arrest people as they arrive for their court dates. She and others at the event said the arrests are unconstitutional and violate due process.
“The majority of those currently being targeted at the court are those who lawfully entered the United States after providing all of their personal information to the government for vetting,” Flores-Dixit said. “The actions by ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the immigration judges choosing to collude with these agencies are a direct attack on due process, not only for immigrants, but for us all.”
Another speaker at the news conference, Dianne Garcia, a pastor of a local church, said multiple members of her church were taken into custody by ICE.
“Of the three people who were recently detained from our community, two were parents of young children,” Garcia said. “One woman, who is an absolutely integral member of our church was taken away by armed officers whlie her four children were at school. She did not even get to say goodbye. And now she waits, disappeared into the detention system for an indeterminate amount of time with little hope of being released on bond.”
Garcia said all the members of her church who were arrested entered the country legally and were going through the court process.
“Another father is currently separated from his wife and his one year old daughter. One of the three has serious medical issues that are going untreated. All of these members of our community were responsible, loving and kind and all entered here legally and chose to report their whereabouts to immigration so that they could do things the right away,” Garcia said.
Watch the full press conference below: