Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained several people outside Charlotte’s immigration court on Wednesday and Thursday, after their pending immigration cases were dismissed, sources told WFAE.
According to a witness, at least eight people were detained.
An ICE spokesperson told WFAE that the Department of Homeland Security has recently moved to dismiss some immigration court proceedings. Most of those cases involve people seeking asylum who have no criminal records and no legal representation. Once their cases are dismissed, people can then be targeted for expedited removals.
ICE declined to confirm how many people were detained but said those detained outside Charlotte’s immigration court in east Charlotte are in custody pending removal from the U.S.
News reports show that other cities across the U.S. are seeing similar incidents in which immigrants are being detained by ICE agents outside of courtrooms immediately after their cases are dismissed.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association said in a statement Wednesday that these tactics “terrify people away from the very process they’re supposed to trust.” The group added that immigrants could now be wary of coming to court for required hearings.
