Neighbors Of Immigrant Man Formed A Human Chain Around Him And His Son To Prevent ICE From Arresting Him

The power of a united community truly can make a difference. When ICE officers tried to take a Tennessee man into custody, his neighbors shut that down real quick.

A standoff outside of #Nashville between the community and ICE reportedly lasted for hours, according to @CNN. It started early Monday morning when ICE officers followed a man’s van and tried to pull it over. The driver pulled into the driveway of a house in Hermitage, Tennessee, and the officers blocked him in.

He remained inside the van with his 12-year-old son and alerted local advocates and neighbors about his situation. A crowd gathered before him forming a human chain around the van and witnesses said others started bringing supplies to the parked van, including gasoline to keep it running and food and water.

After hours of protest, ICE officers eventually left “to de-escalate the situation,” ICE spokesman Bryan Cox told CNN. Cox said he wouldn’t say “who the agency’s target or targets may have been so as to not compromise a potential future operation that would seek to arrest the individual at a different time and place.”

“While there were immigrant advocate community members present, it was clear that a major thrust of the citizen response was being driven by the immediate neighbors of the man and child in the van. … It was striking to watch neighbors deliver food, water, and gasoline to help their neighbor stay in his car,” Nashville City Council Bob Mendes said.

The ICE agents had an administrative warrant, CNN affiliate WTVF reported. Nashville police, who had been called in by ICE, said in a statement that ICE was “attempting to serve a detainer” on the man. 

Advocates argue that ICE warrants aren’t the same as the warrants that other law enforcement agencies get judges to approve in court, because they aren’t reviewed by an independent body and don’t give agents authority to conduct searches inside homes or vehicles without consent.

We’ll keep you posted on any updates, Roommates.