Protestors Block Transfer of Immigrant Detainees

By Alison Burdo
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013 | Updated 4:38 PM EST

Protestors gathered outside the Philadelphia Immigration and Customs Enforcement office Wednesday.

More than 50 undocumented Philadelphians and their supporters blocked vehicle exits to prevent the local ICE office at 1600 Callowhill St. from transfering immigrant detainees.

Police officers could be seen containing the group to allow cars to exit.
The activists are calling for an end to the Secure Communities Program, which is a partnership between local and federal authorities.

Under the program, also called S-COMM, the FBI automatically sends fingerprints provided by Philadelphia police to the Department of Human Services to check against immigration databases.

If any undocumented citizen or person removable due to a criminal conviction comes up in the search, ICE can then take action to deport those individuals.

Philadelphia City Council will be reviewing the impact of Immigration Holds, which is one of the ways police and ICE collaborate on S-COMM, on immigrant communties and public safety in early 2014.
The action is part of the national #Not1More Deportation campaign.

Community members led a processing to ICE headquarters in Washington D.C. to call attention to President Obama's immigration policies and demand a stop to deportations.

Stay with NBC10.com for more on this developing story.

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