PHILADELPHIA — Montgomery County elected officials forcefully condemned a Monday ICE arrest in which agents broke down a family’s front door, lambasting officers for what the leaders described as needless cruelty.

“We are here for one reason, to say that this kind of brutality is completely unacceptable,” said state Sen. Art Haywood, a Democrat who represents parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia, during a news conference Tuesday in Norristown.

Neighbors watched in Lower Providence on Monday as an ICE enforcement action turned into an hours-long siege, with the street blocked off and more than a dozen government vehicles outside a home in what became an extended effort to take one man into custody.

Local leaders’ comments come amid a national debate over President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda, following violent operations in Minnesota in which federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens last month.

“ICE agents, if you can hear me, do not follow these cruel orders that violate the basic dignity that we all recognize, and for all immigrants who are terrified... we stand with you,” Haywood said.

ICE officials in Philadelphia have not yet responded to a request for comment on the arrest.

Montgomery County has become a hot spot for ICE activity, and the Norristown area has come under particular scrutiny. About one-third of the population there is Latino. In July, in one of its most high-profile operations in the Philadelphia region, ICE arrested 14 people at a food market near Norristown.

Lower Providence Township, where Monday’s arrest took place, is an adjacent community.

Rachel Rutter, an attorney and the executive director of Project Libertad, was at the scene of the arrest on Monday.

She said it appeared the man was going to work when agents attempted to stop his car, and the vehicles tapped. Each blamed the other, she added. The man, who was not immediately identified, subsequently went inside the home at Ridge Pike and North Barry in Lower Providence Township.

By about 10 a.m., agents had arrived and moved into positions around the property. Videos showed the road blocked off with yellow police tape.

Some agents approached the house, and at least one could be seen waving at someone who was filming from inside. Federal agents later obtained a warrant and subsequently broke through the door to arrest the man.

On Tuesday, elected officials said they were especially concerned with the manner in which Monday’s arrest was carried out.

Dr. Janine Darby, a Lower Providence Township supervisor, described seeing at least 20 unmarked vehicles, some with Uber stickers, along with agents from ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. She added that an ambulance was called for a family member in the house that had been “punched in the face.”

“Inside the home, what I saw was devastating,” Darby said. “Children crying, a family in shock, and a home destroyed after agents broke down the door.”

State Sen. Katie Muth (D., Montgomery) said that ICE arrests make communities less safe and less trusting of law enforcement.

“You allow this kind of unlawful behavior without due process to happen to one person, it can happen to anyone,” Muth said.

Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija, a Democrat and vice chair of the board, said Tuesday that “it’s incredibly important that we continue to show that we are taking steps to protect every resident’s rights.”

Immigration activists have repeatedly called for Montgomery County officials to adopt a formal ordinance or resolution to officially become a “welcoming county.”

The Democratic-led board of commissioners has not done so, citing limits to their power and concern about creating a false sense of security for immigrants. Last year, county officials approved a policy limiting communication between county employees and ICE, and said they would not honor prison-detainer requests without a signed judicial warrant.

Since the county has yet to enact a formal policy, stakeholders have called for all 62 municipalities in the county to enact their own welcoming provisions to limit cooperation with ICE.

State Rep. Greg Scott, D-Montgomery, said that community advocacy is crucial, noting that residents witnessing and recording ICE activity are documenting “reality.”

“Keep on recording, keep that spare battery pack in your pocket,” he said. “Keep it in your car, keep your phones charged. We got to keep recording to hold people accountable.”

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