XPost: alt.politics.immigration, alt.law-enforcement, sac.politics
XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.atheism

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - At least four undocumented immigrants were
arrested and detained by ICE on Tuesday at the San Francisco Immigration Courthouse while appearing in court for regular hearings.

Unmarked white van
What we know:
KTVU witnessed an unmarked white van come to the side entrance of the
building at 100 Montgomery St. while what appeared to be plain-clothes immigration officers arrested a man and put him in the van.

The van was being driven by a man in a Department of Homeland Security
uniform.

Milli Atkinson, Director of Immigrant Legal Defense at the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco, said four
people were taken away in the same fashion.

Atkinson is one of the attorneys who represents people before the
immigration court.

She said the individuals are appearing in court for an application for
asylum, where a judge is meant to hear their case. She said the people
on the docket did not have a serious criminal history and were from
dangerous countries.

Atkinson said ICE officers were in the courtroom requesting the case be dismissed before taking them into custody.

‘Following the law’
"These are ICE officers coming to the court to arrest and detain
individuals following the law, trying to proceed with their asylum application," she said.

Atkinson called this action by DHS "unprecedented."

"We've never seen anything like this before and it's really scary for
people, to know that they came here fleeing violence and persecution in
their home countries from authoritarian governments," she said.

DHS said in a statement that anyone who entered the country illegally
within the past two years is subject for expedited removal.

"Secretary Noem is reversing Biden’s catch and release policy that
allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to be let loose on American streets. This administration is once again implementing the rule of
law," a spokesperson wrote.

"The government is trying to create new rules and a new process for
removing people without giving them the opportunity to go before a
judge," said Atkinson.

"These are ICE officers coming to the court to arrest and detain
individuals following the law, trying to proceed with their asylum application."

— Milli Atkinson, Director of Immigrant Legal Defense at the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco She said ICE is treating the immigrants going through the proper process as they would
the individuals at the border.

Best chance for asylum
Atkinson told KTVU many people did not show up for their hearings on
Tuesday following the news of arrests, but maintains that undocumented immigrants should still appear for hearings. She said it gives them the
best chance to get granted asylum.

"They put themselves at greater risk for deportation because if you
don't attend your hearing, you're basically abandoning your claim for
asylum," she said.

What we don't know:
DHS did not release any information about where the detainees will be
held, but KTVU has learned they could be taken to a detention center in
Central California.

KTVU reached out to the mayor’s office and is awaiting comment, but
Atkinson said there’s not much the city can do because ICE is a federal
law enforcement agency.

https://www.ktvu.com/news/undocumented-immigrants-detained-ice-sf-courtho
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