As tensions escalate over immigration enforcement across the country, Pittsburgh has become a focal point of rallying cries calling for an end to ICE raids. Yesterday, hundreds of supporters, including Mayor Ed Gainey and Councilwoman Barb Warwick, gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh.
In a show of collective defiance, chants such as "Pittsburgh is a union town, we don't want ICE around" resonated through the streets. Community defense organizer Jaime Martinez, from Casa San Jose, emphasized the importance of awareness and action. "We are doing everything we can to call attention, make sure that people are aware of what’s happening and motivate them to act. Everyone is nervous. I mean, we see what’s going on. It’s not normal, and it’s important to name that what’s going on right now is not normal," Martinez stated, per WTAE report.
Mayor Ed Gainey reassured attendees, asserting his commitment to the immigrant community. "I don’t believe it. I don’t see it, and I don’t believe that’s welcoming. It’s wrong and I'm here to make sure that I stand with them and tell them it’s wrong," he said, as reported by WTAE. Meanwhile, Casa San Jose brought attention to their 24/7 ICE watch hotline, a resource designed to dispatch trained individuals to monitor and potentially de-escalate ICE raids.
This recent surge in activism follows the Department of Homeland Security's publication and subsequent removal of a list of so-called "Sanctuary jurisdictions," which included Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, potentially signaling further immigration enforcement actions, Murphy stated, as reported by WPXI.
