ICE News: Arrests after Death Threats, New York Protests
New developments to report involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
First, an assistant high school principal in Virginia Beach and his brother are accused of threatening to kill ICE officers.
An investigation was launched after an off-duty police officer overheard assistant principal John Wilson Bennett and Mark Booth Bennett discussing plans to “kill police officers and ICE agents.” Mark Bennett was also overheard saying he was planning to meet with likeminded individuals in Las Vegas.
Mark Bennett was later arrested at the Norfolk Airport on his way to Las Vegas while John Bennett was arrested in Virginia Beach, where he served as assistant principal at Kempsville High School.
“It’s chilling that a human being, much less a child educator, would plot to ambush and kill ICE law enforcement officers—offering such specifics as to getting a high caliber rifle that would pierce the law enforcements’ bullet proof vests,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Our officers are facing a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”
Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, a violation of Virginia state law.
New York Protesters Arrested
In Manhattan, protesters were arrested for blocking ICE officers as they attempted to do their jobs. Several were arrested after they blocked the exits to a parking garage and nearby streets to apparently prevent ICE officers from conducting operations in a nearby area where many counterfeit goods are peddled.
Police say the protesters were ordered multiple times to leave but did not, and that some were seen throwing debris at federal law enforcement.
This comes after border czar Tom Homan announced that ICE would step up raids in New York City over its sanctuary city policies.
"We're increasing enforcement presence in New York City again because they're a sanctuary city, and we know we have an issue. There are public safety threats in the street every day," said Homan.
Immigration Judges Fired
Also in New York City, the Trump Administration fired eight immigration judges, sharply cutting staff at one of the nation’s busiest immigration courts.
Those immigration judges worked at 26 Federal Plaza, which also houses the ICE field office and has been the center of protests.
Nationwide, the administration has fired about 100 immigration judges since President Trump took office, out of about 715 total. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) says that has depleted the number of judges as cases surge.
“This reckless move guts due process and further undermines the integrity of our immigration court system,” said AILA executive director Ben Johnson.