BETHLEHEM, Pa. — There still are many questions unanswered regarding 17 people arrested as part of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s “worksite enforcement operation” last week in South Bethlehem, officials and residents said Tuesday.
Mayor J. William Reynolds told City Council and a few dozen concerned attendees that he got word of the arrests after the fact from someone that morning on the South Side.
Reynolds said even the deputy police chief wasn’t aware of the operation until he shared the news with him.
“As I said, it is an American tragedy.”Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
Police and the mayor's office issued a news release the morning of the June 11 arrests saying federal immigration officials were in Bethlehem searching for an individual "related to an immigration violation and criminal investigation."
It said that shortly before 7 a.m., Bethlehem Police Department "received a courtesy notification from agents with the Department of Homeland Security that federal agents were actively searching" for the individual.
While not providing an exact mode of that communication, police and city officials said Tuesday it may have been provided to a department member based on a previous interaction between agencies.
It’s also likely the message came through as ICE was pulling up to the worksite, officials said.
Asking questions, no answers
The mayor said his team and local police have repeatedly contacted federal authorities in the meantime for details regarding the identities of the individuals, whether warrants were involved, their current detainment location and more — but to no avail.
“The opaqueness of not letting us know is miniscule compared to the opaqueness of what is happening to these individuals that are being detained," Reynolds said.
"Some of whom across the country are being detained and are here with all of their paperwork, with every T crossed and every I dotted.
“They just might not have had it with them when they were working at these sites, and then their redress as far as maybe or maybe not getting their own due process rights, as far as a lawyer is concerned, or whatever it might be.
“As I said, it is an American tragedy.”
It’s due time Bethlehem officials assumed a unified front against the procedures of ICE, dozens of people told City Council during the public comment part of the meeting.
More than 35 spoke at the lectern; all but a handful sharing their thoughts on the recent arrests.
Councilwoman Kiera Wilhelm made a motion to move public comment on non-agenda-related items to the end of the meeting.
“I think this is in the interest of making sure that everybody is heard,” Wilhelm said. “We have been in scenarios where we’ve had to rush on things that are on the agenda.
“We will move through the full agenda and move through full public comment, giving every member of the public their full five minutes to speak their mind, and we look forward to that.”
The motion passed 5-1, with Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith dissenting. Councilwoman Colleen Laird was absent.
'Not tomorrow, not next week, but today'
Regina Padilla, an Allentown resident who grew up in South Bethlehem, said pushing public comment to the end of the meeting was “incredibly inappropriate,” a sentiment shared by other commenters.
Padilla said she felt that the city not passing its own welcoming city ordinance when recently urged by the public played a role in the recent arrests.
“We must ask ourselves, if we do not stand for what is just, then who will?" Padilla said. "If you allow fear of federal backlash to muzzle your commitment to justice, then you have failed the very people that you claim to serve.
“The moment for action is now — not tomorrow, not next week, but today.”
“If anybody in this room is still holding on to the idea that there’s something we can do to avoid it — it’s here."Michele Downing, Bethlehem resident, social worker and nurse
Michele Downing, a Bethlehem resident, social worker and nurse, said she has “serious concerns” about the ability of the Bethlehem Police Department and city administration to keep its residents safe.
“If anybody in this room is still holding on to the idea that there’s something we can do to avoid it — it’s here,” Downing said.
“We need more skin in the game. We need to know what you’re doing. We need you to have a unified front. We need you to have one body.
“And when we’re out there in the streets risking arrest, we expect some of you to be out there with us.”
The Rev. Maryann Sturges, priest at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in South Bethlehem, said the workers were arrested less than a mile from where she lives and works.
Sturges said it will take the collective efforts and some imagination from citizens and elected officials to figure out a way to make the city safer for its immigrant population.
“As was said here tonight by the people on the City Council, it’s really tempting to believe that, ‘Yeah, there’s nothing we can do about it. This is the way the world has to be,’" she said.
"But I, as a person of faith, believe that there is something we can do about it.
“I believe that love for our neighbors — for all people, for those who look like me, for those who don’t look like me, for those who speak my language or don’t speak my language — is the answer, and so that is why I am here.”
'Courtesy' message not required
Following concerns mentioned by Councilwoman Rachel Leon, who said she’s in the process of confirming identities of the arrested, officials said people should always feel safe to call 911.
“If anybody has a concern saying, ‘There appears to be law enforcement at this location. We’re not sure they’re legitimate,’ we encourage them to call us to … make that verification,” said BPD Capt. Nicholas Lechman, who was standing in for Chief Michelle Kott while she was away Tuesday.
There are no existing memorandums of understanding between BPD and the Department of Homeland Security, according to Lechman.
The police department also continues use of its U-visa program, which protects victims of violent crimes when they assist law enforcement in a respective investigation or prosecution, he said.
“Federal authorities are not required to speak with us in advance or provide any information. It's different at the state and local level, but in terms of federal law enforcement, the answer is no.”Bethlehem Police Capt. Nicholas Lechman
But as far as federal authorities alerting local entities of operations in town, Lechman said, “Federal authorities are not required to speak with us in advance or provide any information.
"It's different at the state and local level, but in terms of federal law enforcement, the answer is no.”
'Use the power that you have'
Reynolds said of the ICE procedure: “The federal government has an enormous amount of power in this area that doesn’t need our assistance.
"That they don’t need to share information with us, and in many ways, we are unable to stop them or get information from there if they don’t want to give it to us.”
Asked whether anyone has come forward to city officials regarding their missing loved ones, Reynolds said, “I think that that’s probably a better question left unanswered.”
“There’s tens of millions of people in this country that think what’s going on is good."Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
“There’s tens of millions of people in this country that think what’s going on is good," Reynolds said.
"And until we find a way to build a different culture where everybody’s angry as probably 98-percent of the people in this room, you’re not going to see the political pressure put on these people that are elected officials to try to utilize their constitutional power to be able to stop this."
Councilman Bryan Callahan said, “It’s a damn shame that there aren’t people in the Senate, in the House, that are pushing back on the administration on what’s going on in our country.
"But we don’t control the House or the Senate or the presidency right now. And that is why it’s so important, especially in the midterms coming up.
"That everybody use the power that you have and the anger that you have right now to get out there and get people to vote.”
