ICE agents target Rhode Island high school intern at courthouse, drawing criticism from state officials
By Taylor Galgano Caroll Alvarado and Diego Mendoza, CNN
(CNN) — Aggressive tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents drew the ire of Rhode Island’s governor and state Supreme Court chief justice this week when a high school intern was detained and questioned before being released.
The incident, captured on video, showed ICE agents detaining the teen, who is taking part in an internship experience at Rhode Island Superior Court, as he was being driven to school by a judge.
“ICE agents wrongfully detained a high school intern outside the Superior Court – an outrageous and indefensible act that could have completely upended a young person’s life,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security has faced criticism for pursuing targets in or near courthouses, after rescinding guidance limiting activity in such locations.
Here’s how the latest incident unfolded.
ICE agent took photos in courtroom, stopped judge’s car
It began in a courtroom, where the teen noticed someone taking photos of him, a member of the court staff familiar with the situation told CNN.
When security asked the person to stop taking photos to abide by courthouse rules, he identified himself as an ICE agent, the court staff member said.
CNN has asked DHS why agents were taking photos of the intern.
Upon learning an ICE agent was taking photos of him, the intern appeared shaken by the experience, and Superior Court Associate Justice Joseph McBurney offered to drive him to his high school, the staffer said.
ICE agents later surrounded the judge’s car as he intended to drive the intern to school, according to the court staffer and a video of the incident.
In a video from the Deportation Defense Network of Rhode Island, at least six federal agents are seen near McBurney’s car, asking him and the teen to exit it.
“Are you a judge here?” one of the ICE agents appears to ask McBurney after he opens his car door.
About 30 seconds later, a federal agent is seen restraining the intern’s hands behind his back and escorting him away from the vehicle as nearby protesters shout at the agents.
McBurney continues talking to federal agents, explaining the teen is an intern, and they were making a mistake, a member of the court staff familiar with the situation told CNN.
The intern, who was not named by the court or ICE, was taken across a busy street in front of the Providence courthouse. He was released after his identity was verified by the federal agents, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Judiciary said.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN the agents had been searching for a “child predator” and “briefly questioned someone who resembled the target” but the person “was never arrested or taken into custody.”
CNN has reached out to the DHS and Judge McBurney for more information.
ICE tactics under scrutiny
The incident comes as ICE has continued to make arrests at courthouses across the country.
In fact, demonstrators were already holding an anti-ICE rally outside the courthouse to protest ICE activity at courthouses and in support of virtual court hearings, for which immigrants would not need to be physically present, reducing their exposure to ICE activity.
Video of the protesters shows demonstrators shouting “Let him go!” as the teen was released. “He’s a f**king kid,” one protester is heard shouting, with another one adding, “That’s a 16-year-old!”
Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell said the incident reinforces the judiciary’s need to focus on ways to enhance access to virtual hearings.
“This egregious incident underscores both the community’s and the Judiciary’s concerns about how ICE is conducting its operations in Rhode Island,” said Suttell.
According to ICE’s website, ICE does not detain unaccompanied children except in rare instances, though CNN has previously reported on similar instances.
“This was not a harmless mistake. It was the direct result of callous and chaotic policies by the Trump Administration,” McKee said. “Moreover, ICE’s failure to exercise even a shred of due diligence is shameful and underscores just how broken and dangerous these federal policies are.”
ICE is continuing its operations under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, making hundreds of arrests in Charlotte, North Carolina, and preparing to deploy in New Orleans in December.
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