BETHLEHEM, Pa. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday provided detail about its arrest of 17 people working to restore a burned-out Bethlehem apartment building.
ICE said its agents from its Homeland Security Investigations office “administratively arrested” 13 citizens of Venezuela, two of Mexico and one citizen each from Ecuador and Nicaragua for “immigration violations."
The arrests happened at the 510 Flats building in South Bethlehem.
They served a “Notice of Inspection” as crews worked on the building, the agency said Friday in its first public comments on the arrests.
Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds’ office said in a statement on the morning of the arrests that federal immigration officials were in Bethlehem searching for an individual "related to an immigration violation and criminal investigation."
ICE did not immediately respond Friday to LehighValleyNews.com’s questions about the men’s identities or current locations or the impetus for the operation.
‘An American tragedy’
Reynolds this week described ICE’s arrest of 17 workers as “an American tragedy.”
The mayor said he and other city officials have repeatedly asked federal authorities for more information about the raid but have received none.
“The opaqueness of not letting us know is miniscule compared to the opaqueness of what is happening to these individuals that are being detained."Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds
“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 told Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday night.
Almost three dozen people spoke out during that meeting, many calling for city officials to develop a unified plan against ICE’s procedures.
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents demonstrate at a rally Thursday, June 12, to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building in South Bethlehem the day before. Protestors marched from East Third Street to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
3 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
5 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
6 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
7 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
8 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
9 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
10 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
11 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered and spoke out at a rally in Bethlehem at City Hall on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid that took place the day before.
Will Oliver
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
14 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
15 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
16 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
17 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched across the Philip J. Fahy Memorial Bridge to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
20 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
21 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
22 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
23 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
24 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
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— Bethlehem ICE protest
Signs near Bethlehem City Hall at a rally on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Makenzie Christman
26 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
27 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
28 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
29 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
30 of
— Bethlehem ICE protest
Residents gathered at a rally in Bethlehem on Thursday, June 12 to protest a federal immigration raid at the fire-damaged Five10 Flats apartment building the day before. Protestors marched from E. 3rd St. to Bethlehem City Hall.
Will Oliver
Seventeen speakers started their comments with one minute of silence to honor the 17 people arrested at the site of a large restoration project in the wake of a May fire that forced out all 135 residents and ground-floor businesses.
Hundreds in the city demonstrated against ICE on June 12, the night after the arrests, across the street from the fire-damaged apartment building where the men were working.
