Thread: Protesters gather outside ICE field office in Miramar

Protesters gather outside ICE field office in Miramar

Group blocks intersection as they call for ICE to be abolished

By Amanda Batchelor - Senior Digital Editor, Carlos Suarez - Anchor/Reporter
Posted: 11:13 AM, July 18, 2018 Updated: 12:33 PM, July 18, 2018

MIRAMAR, Fla. - A crowd of protesters gathered Wednesday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Miramar.

The protest comes two days after seven protesters were arrested on trespassing charges after they held a protest outside ICE's detention facility on Powerline Road in Pompano Beach.



More arrests could happen Wednesday as protesters blocked the intersection at Southwest 29th Street and 145th Avenue.


Sky 10 was above the scene around noon as a couple of vehicles were forced to make U-turns at the intersection as protesters held hands throughout the roadway.

Miramar police are asking drivers to avoid 145th Avenue from Pembroke Road to Miramar Parkway at this time as they have closed all north and southbound lanes.

Sky 10 was above the ICE field office earlier in the morning as protesters gathered under tents that read "Abolish ICE" and "ICE Out Of Miramar."

Protesters told Local 10 News it was worth getting arrested Monday to protest the immigration policies of the Trump administration.

"The GEO Group, which is a for-profit prison corporation, works together with ICE to destroy black and brown lives every day. We have to put a stop to that. We have to take action," protester Christian Minaya said.

Two protesters locked themselves to a fence with a bike lock Monday, while others tied themselves to a car blocking the entrance of the facility.

The GEO Group released the following statement to Local 10 News:

"(The protesters') actions are misguided and based on a mischaracterization of our role as a long-standing service provider to the federal government, and totally ignore the fact that we have absolutely no role in setting immigration policy nor have we ever advocated for or against immigration enforcement or detention policies.

"Furthermore, the facilities we manage on behalf of the federal government have never housed unaccompanied minors. For over three decades, our company has managed ICE Processing Centers providing services for adults, and we have managed the Karnes Family Residential Center, which has cared exclusively for mothers together with their children since 2014 when it was established by the Obama Administration.

"On a daily basis, our dedicated employees deliver high quality services that comply with performance-based standards set by the federal government and adhere to guidelines set by leading third-party accreditation agencies.

Our more than 23,000 GEO employees around the world are proud of our record in managing facilities with high-quality services in safe, secure, and humane environments. Members of our team strive to treat all of those entrusted to our care with compassion, dignity, and respect."

https://www.local10.com/news/florida/miramar/protesters-gather-outside-ice-field-office-in-miramar

Authorities Arrest Some Miramar Protesters Calling for U.S. ICE to be Abolished

Published at 12:33 PM EDT on Jul 18, 2018 | Updated 2 hours ago

UPDATE: Law enforcement officials have arrested some protesters who remained at the Miramar intersection despite warnings to vacate.

The Miramar Police Department said none of the protesters filed for a permit to protest, adding it has been patient with the demonstrators and that it has asked them not to block roadways numerous times.

Previous story:
A protest calling for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has shut down a Miramar intersection on Wednesday.
Anti-ICE Protest in Miramar



[IMG]https://media.nbcmiami.com/images/620*349/WTVJ_100000008678039_1200x675_1280333891936.jpg[/IMG]
Protesters have shut down a key intersection in Miramar as part of an anti-U.S. ICE demonstration.
(Published Wednesday, July 18, 2018)

The protest near the ICE Field Office in Miramar is made up of nannies and mothers, according to the National Domestic Workers Alliance advocacy organization.
"Nannies and mothers from Women Working Together, the Miami Workers Center and the National Domestic Workers Alliance will rally in South Florida to denounce the inhumanity and harm being caused to children at the hands of ICE due to the Trump administration’s 'Zero Humanity' and family detention policies," the advocacy group said in a press release. "The groups will join immigrant youth, families and advocates to demand that the ICE Field Office in Miramar be closed down and that ICE be abolished at the federal level."
Footage from the scene shows demonstrators laying down on the road in the middle of the intersection of 145th Avenue and 29th Street.

• North Miami Couple Arrested in $280K Home Depot Fraud Scheme

President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy toward illegal immigration generated controversy as his administration faced sharp criticism over the separation of children and families.
The administration has since said it would work to reunite separated families.
“Our kids are being denied their basic rights to live and develop with their families. We demand that they are treated fairly, with respect, dignity and free of hate,” Women Working Together representative Yaquelin Lopez said.
Fact-Check: Calls to Abolish ICE



[IMG]https://media.nbcmiami.com/images/621*349/Fact-Check__Calls_to_Abolish_ICE.jpg[/IMG]
According to Factcheck.org, the small number of Democrats who are calling to abolish ICE do not want open borders. NBC 6's Jackie Nespral reports.
(Published Thursday, July 12, 2018)
The Miramar Police Department has urged motorists to avoid 145th Avenue from Pembroke Road to Miramar Parkway due to the protest.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/htt...488514641.html

Watch–Soros-Funded Illegal Alien Activists Shut Down Florida Intersection: ‘We Want I