Immigrant, faith leaders speak out against Tuesday’s Washington ICE raid

SEATTLE – During a news conference Wednesday, OneAmerica (formerly Hate Free Zone) and community allies strongly condemned Tuesday’s raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the Yamato Engine Specialists in Bellingham, Wash. This military-style raid was reportedly conducted by 75 ICE agents in riot gear, who entered the premises with buckets of handcuffs and ankle chains. Workers were rounded up and interrogated one by one along a perimeter.

Twenty-eight workers were arrested, of which three were women who were later released on humanitarian grounds. The remaining 25 were handcuffed, put on a bus and taken to an undisclosed location without attorneys present. ICE refused to speak with local attorneys who tried to get information on the arrests in order to assist the workers. READ MORE