Veterans Increasingly Arrested for Protesting ICE Actions

A new report from news agency The Guardian has identified eight instances where U.S. military veterans have been arrested or injured after being detained by federal agents for protesting. Read on for a closer look at this alarming issue.

Growing Number of Veterans Arrested Over ICE Protests

The increasing number of arrests of U.S. veterans comes as President Donald Trump ramps up his deportation campaign through the use of National Guard deployments across a growing number of American cities. The latest incident happened on September 29 outside an ICE facility in Chicago when 70-year-old Dana Briggs was charged with a felony assault on a federal officer. The Air Force veteran was detained while protesting outside the ICE detention center, located in the suburb of Broadview.

Federal prosecutors allege that Briggs committed assault when making physical contact with an agent's arm as the agent tried to expand the safety perimeter. The elderly veteran was released on an appearance bond after pleading not guilty.

The veterans’ organization Common Defense said that their members are standing up to ICE protests and facing arrest in a concerning pattern of "state-sanctioned abuse." Just one day before Briggs' arrest, 35-year-old John Cerrone was also arrested while protesting outside the Chicago area ICE detention center. Video footage shows a masked agent tackling the Marine Corps veteran as tear gas circulates through the air.

According to Cerrone, he was detained for nine hours at the Broadview facility. Cerrone said that he was in a cell that was covered with blood, hair, and mucus while being berated by an ICE agent who yelled obscenities at him. Cerrone called the conduct "completely unprofessional," detailing that it was worse than what would have been allowed when he served in Afghanistan. He was later released after being charged with a misdemeanor for “exhibiting disorderly conduct on federal property.” Cerrone said that he plans to contest the charge.

The White House is defending the recent arrests. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said that individuals who assault or harm law enforcement authorities will be "held accountable to the fullest extent of the law." She also noted that ICE officers are being faced with increasing amounts of assaults, blaming the violence on "unhinged rhetoric" from Democrats. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) responded to the arrests by saying that they are simply following the law and in their duty to protect the nation.

Courts and Politicians Respond to the Unrest

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a temporary restraining order last Thursday, restricting federal agents from relying on riot control weapons against protesters, journalists, and religious practitioners in Chicago. The order said that the agents may only use these measures if there is probable cause that somebody has committed a crime.

Some members of the military have criticized the Trump administration for not mandating proper training for ICE agents. For example, Illinois Army National Guard member Demi Palecek said that the way the ICE agents handle weapons is dangerous and incompetent.

Veterans have also criticized ICE agents for using a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital parking lot in Chicago as a staging ground for launching immigration raids. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, also a veteran, demanded that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, prohibit the agents from using the parking lot at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital.

The anti-war veterans group About Face noted that some of its members have avoided Hines Hospital due to the unrest in the parking lot. Some of the veterans are worried about facing detainment by ICE simply due to the color of their skin, citing a new Trump policy that legalized racial profiling under the guise of immigration enforcement. An About Face spokesperson pointed out that these veterans are U.S. citizens, yet feel targeted because of their heritage.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continue to defend the arrests of veterans. For instance, a DHS spokesperson noted that one of the people detained outside of an ICE facility in Portland is known for instigating acts of violence.

Likewise, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on August 14 that she was charging Sean Charles Dunn with felony assault for allegedly throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Patrol agent. However, prosecutors were unable to convince the grand jury to indict the Afghanistan war veteran.

The situation is likely to escalate in the short term as tensions continue to rise across U.S. cities where National Guard troops have been deployed.

Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore. Ride the wave of what’s next.