Tell First Judicial Court Leadership: Get ICE Out of Courts

First Judicial Court Leadership

For years, we have seen a consistent and disturbing trend of civil immigration arrests of community members as they exit the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have utilized our local courthouse as an ambush site, detaining community members as they exit, despite many still being in the midst of their criminal proceedings, or having accepted other sentencing within the criminal justice system.

Local ICE agents have been documented waiting in the lobby of the CJC and visiting upper courthouse floors, without documentation of valid judicial warrants, often executing arrests the moment a community member steps out onto public sidewalks.

Documentation of these incidents demonstrate plainclothes agents detaining community members, often in an aggressive manner, while also discouraging and infringing the First Amendment right of legal bystanders.

The ICE Out of Courts coalition recently requested policy changes by FJC leadership that addresses these arrests. However, our local judicial leadership declined to expand these protections and stated so in their response to outreach.

Now, we are calling on our community and allies to defend immigrant communities in Philadelphia by signing and sharing this petition in which we are demanding the following:

  1. Create a policy that limits civil immigration enforcement near courthouses, requires all federal agents and law enforcement to wear visible identification (no masks), and logs any federal activity or surveillance on court grounds.

  2. Expand virtual or excused appearances across all courts until a comprehensive policy protecting immigrant community members is finalized.

  3. Publish monthly public reports detailing federal agents’ presence, agency information, warrants, and policy updates.

We reject the idea that anyone is less deserving of protection from civil immigration enforcement. No one should be treated as disposable or denied justice based on past charges or perceived “worthiness.” Public civil immigration arrests create fear for anyone who must appear at our courthouses, threatening the safety of our entire community. Stand with us, add your name and demand policies that protect everyone in our courts.
Sponsored by
Juntos_logo
Juntos
Philadelphia, PA

To: First Judicial Court Leadership
From: [Your Name]

Dear [FJC Leadership / Honorable Judges],

For years, civil immigration arrests have occurred as community members exit the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice. ICE agents have repeatedly used our local courthouse as an ambush site, detaining individuals-even those still engaged in criminal proceedings or serving sentences-often without documentation of valid judicial warrants. Agents have been documented waiting in the lobby and visiting upper courthouse floors, executing arrests the moment someone steps onto public sidewalks.

These actions are aggressive, often involve plainclothes agents, and discourage bystanders from exercising their First Amendment rights. Despite repeated outreach from the ICE Out of Courts coalition, local judicial leadership has declined to expand protections for community members.

We urge FJC leadership to adopt policies that:

Limit civil immigration enforcement near courthouses, require all federal agents and law enforcement to wear visible identification (no masks), and log any federal activity or surveillance on court grounds.

Expand virtual or excused appearances across all courts until a comprehensive policy protecting immigrant community members is finalized.

Publish monthly public reports detailing federal agents’ presence, agency information, warrants, and policy updates.

We reject the notion that anyone is less deserving of protection from civil immigration enforcement. No one should be treated as disposable or denied justice based on past charges or perceived “worthiness.” Public civil immigration arrests create fear for anyone who must appear at our courthouses, threatening the safety of our entire community.

We respectfully request that FJC leadership act immediately to protect all community members and ensure our courthouses remain safe, just, and accessible spaces.