ICE raid at Philadelphia car wash rattles immigrant communities
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A federal immigration raid at a North Philadelphia car wash has put some immigrant communities on edge.
The big picture: President Trump is ramping up his promised immigration crackdown with large-scale deportations across the country.
- As of Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had made at least 3,500 arrests.
- Agents have conducted raids in Newark, New Jersey; Chicago; and the Los Angeles area, among other cities.
Driving the news: ICE agents detained seven people at a car wash in North Philly on Tuesday, per immigrant rights groups New Sanctuary Movement and Juntos.
- The ICE field office in Philly did not return Axios' request for comment.
Six of the people were Mexican nationals, Raul Garcia, deputy consul at the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, tells Axios.
- Garcia was uncertain on Wednesday whether they would be deported.
- The New Sanctuary Movement says the other detained individual was from the Dominican Republic, WHYY reports.
State of play: Philadelphia's Mexican Consulate is providing legal assistance and services to those who were detained and their families.
- Consulate officials have been warning Mexicans living in the city to be prepared and to contact the consulate about any raids, Garcia says.
- The consulate is also offering workshops to its community about how to respond if immigration agents arrive at their door.
What they're saying: Immigrant rights activists called on Mayor Cherelle Parker and other local leaders to take action during a protest Tuesday outside ICE headquarters in Center City.
- Parker, who's facing pressure to expand the city's sanctuary city policies, hasn't publicly commented on the raid. A spokesperson for the mayor declined Axios' request for comment.
- The Philadelphia Police Department and Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, whose district includes the car wash, also declined to comment.
City Solicitor Renee Garcia said in a statement that the city's 2016 policies limiting its cooperation with ICE are unchanged.
By the numbers: An estimated 47,000 undocumented immigrants live in Philly, per the Migration Policy Institute.
Meanwhile, the crackdown is stoking fear among Southwest Philly's African immigrants, Voffee Jabateh, CEO of the African Cultural Alliance of North America, tells Axios.
- The nonprofit has seen a significant reduction in people seeking immigration and other services in recent weeks.
- Jabateh adds: "I'm afraid that somebody could see me on the street and say, 'You look like a foreigner. Can you identify yourself?'"