"They're Scared:" Security Blocks Advocates From Immigration Court, Allowing ICE To Snatch People Out Of Public View

Security guards at the Federal Building downtown refused entry for the first few hours Tuesday morning to almost anyone who did not have an appointment, blocking the public from viewing deportation proceedings and detainments. The policy change comes as Seattle organizers plan to step up their response to ICE’s local reign of terror as protesters fight the ICE raids and fascist crackdown in Los Angeles. Protesters outside the building decried the move as both cruel and cowardly, not only are ICE agents snatching up Seattle community members, now they can do it in total secrecy. 

The Federal Building did not respond to my request for comment. Representatives from Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, some reporters, and a few members of the public were allowed inside later in the morning.

“They’re scared,” said Mathieu Chabaud, a student organizer with UW Students For Democratic Society. “They saw that people are mobilizing and they’re scared.”

Over the past few weeks, ICE has adopted a disturbing new tactic. As reported by KUOW, plain-clothed and masked ICE agents wait in the hallways of the Seattle Immigration Court and arrest immigrants when judges dismiss their deportation proceedings. Activists have been showing up to document ICE’s activities in the courthouse. 

Matt Payne told The Burner he’s been showing up to the courthouse most days for the past three weeks. Now he’s concerned that without public access to the building, “ICE is going to disappear people and no one will know their fucking names.” 

The courthouse observers like Payne have been collecting names and A-numbers so that they can track those arrested through ICE’s detainee locator system. Payne couldn’t hold back his tears as he thought about ICE shoving his fellow Seattlites into the elevator without knowing where they would end up. So far, Payne said the observers have been peaceful and non-disruptive, but Payne’s starting to feel desperate, especially as he thinks about the deportation of children. 

“I don’t know if I can watch a kid get carried away into the elevator, so I’m sort of glad they’re not letting us in there,” Payne said through tears. “I think they’d have to kill me.” 

While the advocates could not observe or disrupt ICE inside the courtroom Tuesday, they aren’t giving up. Tuesday’s rally is just the first step toward a response to ICE that looks more like what’s happening in Los Angeles, Chabaud said. 

“If they’re not going to let us into the building, then we gotta make sure they can’t come into our communities and terrorize us,” Chabaud said. 

Now, protesters are blocking the exits with Lime Bikes to keep ICE from leaving with immigrants.