100+ Lawyers Protest ICE for Arresting Student in NYC Courthouse

100+ NYC lawyers are done with the ICE arresting clients at courthouses, so they staged a protest outside of a Bronx courthouse. The protest follows the arrest of 27-year-old Aboubacar Dembele, who was born in West Africa, but has been in the U.S. since he was three.

Dembele has no criminal record and was appealing a misdemeanor assault charge in court. He was then arrested by the ICE outside of the courthouse.

“We should not be having ICE in the courthouses at all.” Supervising Attorney Anthony Posada stated, “Courts should not be grounds where people can just be snatched up and taken away. We should honor due process and the Constitution.”

Dembele’s wife is a U.S. citizen and is calling the situation an “ambush,” stating, “It was like eight of them stepped in front of us. It’s like an ambush. You finish one case. You’re walking out freely. But as soon as you step outside you’re going right back into handcuffs.”

According to WABC, Dembele attempted to apply for DREAMer status under president Obama, but was unable to afford an application until Trump ended the program.

As of late, sightings of ICE agents at or near courthouses have spiked, but hopefully the protests and backlash will prevent them from keeping up with this trend.