ICE detainment of 25 sparks outrage in Centre County

Bellfonte, Pa. — On Tuesday, Aug. 19, around 7 a.m., ICE agents, with the assistance of a Pennsylvania state trooper, pulled over and arrested workers on Interstate 99 in Bellefonte who were driving to work — a construction site at Mount Nittany Hospital.

Other workers from the same worksite were pulled over on Highway 220 near the Milesburg exit and arrested around 8 a.m.

A total of 25 men were arrested by ICE and separate witnesses from each arrest site believe that ICE agents were assisted by the same state trooper.

Coworker's first-hand account

John, a coworker of those arrested said, “I picked up guys in the van from the Econo Hotel per usual and took them all to Sheetz to get coffee like usual. I got onto route 99 from route 150 southbound, past Shiloh road and slightly before the exit to Mt. Nittany Hospital, I was stopped by flashing red blue lights. A passenger van immediately pulled directly in front of us, and another silver Ford Expedition unmarked behind us.

"They took my ID, gave it back and proceeded to the other side to pull guys out one by one. They took their telephone first, asked where they were from, if they had a work permit, and that they would check after they tied up their arms behind their back.

"After all the guys were out, they closed the door and said, 'Patron will have an easy day.'

"First, the van left in front of me. Next, the silver ford behind me left, and then behind him was a state police officer with his lights on. I believe that (state trooper) is the one who actually pulled us over to begin with, then the van and the other car pulled up behind us (ICE).”

Immigrant rights groups speak out

“Community organizing is critical at this moment. Our futures are intertwined and so we must all fight for our communities and our rights. The video footage shared with CCRRN on Tuesday morning allowed those kidnapped to be identified, beginning the process of offering support to the detained and their families. We are in this together. This injustice doesn’t end with 25 individuals and their families. It ripples through the workforce. It ripples through the community. These men are more than just workers. They are partners, sons, brothers and fathers. Households have been torn apart,” said Kate from Centre County Rapid Response Network co-founder.

Since December 2024, immigrant rights organizations have called on Governor Shapiro to take a number of administrative actions (full list below), including strengthening the existing State Trooper ICE policy; the policy can be strengthened by including language that prohibits state police from contacting ICE and from providing assistance for immigration enforcement efforts, including parameters, traffic, or other kinds of support.

"As the executive director of Asian Americans United and as a member of the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, we urge Governor Shapiro to take action. ICE is making billions of dollars from kidnapping our people. They are terrorizing our communities. Being a true leader for Pennsylvania means taking a stand. Governor Shapiro must take these steps to make Pennsylvania safe,” said Vivian Chang from Asian Americans United.

“The Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity stands firmly with our immigrant working class siblings who are being brutally attacked by the forces of U.S. imperialism—especially ICE — and we demand the Penn State Administration and Governor Josh Shapiro commit to not cooperate with or support ICE,” said Dylan from the The Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity.

“As revolutionary workers, People’s Defense Front condemns in the strongest possible terms ICE's cowardly attack on immigrant workers in Centre County on August 19. While ICE abducted 25 cherished members of our community this week, this violence has fueled more organized resistance and redoubled the people’s commitment in Centre County to fight back,” said Mars from People’s Defense Front.

Lawyer attempted to intervene

Garret Allison, Esq., a witness of the second arrest at 8 a.m. said, “As an attorney, there is a special kind of hell in watching democracy completely crumble before our feet. This is an overfunded, undersupervised organization, with a bloated budget that is currently larger than the FBI’s. The only bastion that we have against federal overstep right now, is in the states.

"It’s only a matter of time, (President Trump) already said it, he doesn't care whether people are here legally. He is going to use ICE and he will use this cudgel to start arresting Americans of different ideologies than him. None of us are safe if none of us are safe.”

What these groups are demanding of Shapiro

1. Remove ICE access to state databases JNET and CLEAN unless there is a judicial warrant. This includes prohibiting any third party entities to sell that information to those whose focus is enforcing federal immigration.
2. End data sharing, communication and collaboration between state prisons and probation and ICE, including the enforcement of ICE detainers.
3. Strengthen the policy with the state police by prohibiting state police from contacting ICE and from providing assistance for immigration enforcement efforts, including parameter, traffic, or other kinds of support.
4. Never lease a state facility to ICE.
5. Within all Pennsylvania public benefit programs, collect and share only the information that is absolutely necessary under the law to be collected and shared. Be prepared to challenge any federal governmental action to use information contained in state public benefit records for immigration enforcement purposes
6. or for any other purpose not authorized by law.
7. Prohibit immigration enforcement arrests in state facilities without a judicial warrant or order.
8. Make the drivers license for all campaign (HB 1518) a priority by allowing your departments to demonstrate support to advance this legislation.
9. Develop public messaging, webpages, and other forms of communication to inform immigrant communities about the current policies on immigrant access to health care and other public programs.
10. Issue statements and publicly welcome refugees and asylum seekers to Pennsylvania.