Courthouses should be places where people go to seek justice—not where they are ambushed by immigration agents.

But right now in Pennsylvania, ICE agents are showing up at court hearings to arrest people who are often there for routine matters—like traffic tickets or as witnesses in criminal cases. One arrest outside a Leetsdale courthouse even led to a dangerous highway chase, with agents pursuing a man into oncoming traffic. These are not just immigration cases anymore—they are public safety disasters waiting to happen.

When ICE conducts arrests at courthouses, it sends a chilling message: If you're undocumented, even showing up to court—whether as a defendant, witness, or victim—puts you at risk. That fear doesn’t just impact the person being targeted. It affects the entire justice system. Victims stay silent. Witnesses don’t appear. Defendants miss court out of fear of deportation. And our courts—already overburdened—become even more strained.

This isn’t just about immigration. It’s about safety, fairness, and the role of the courts in our communities. Legal professionals across the country—including judges and attorneys—have warned that courthouse arrests put lives at risk and erode public trust in the system.

Our courts must remain neutral ground. Using legal hearings as an opportunity for arrest turns the justice system into a trap. It's dangerous, counterproductive, and fundamentally unjust.

We call on Governor Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and local officials across the Commonwealth to act now: Ban ICE from conducting enforcement operations at or near courthouses without a judicial warrant. Require transparency, oversight, and coordination to ensure that the pursuit of immigration enforcement doesn’t put lives or justice at risk.

If we want safer communities and a justice system that works for everyone, we must stop courthouse arrests before someone else gets hurt—or worse.

Photo: Alexis Johnson/Axios