Police arrest four at ICE protest outside Arizona jail

PHOENIX (AP) — Over 100 activists gathered outside a jail in Phoenix on Wednesday to protest Sheriff Paul Penzone’s continued cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.

Four activists who chained themselves to each other outside one of the jail entrances were arrested in an act of civil disobedience.

Authorities said the four were sitting down and blocking the entrance and refusing to leave.

TV video showed Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies dressed in riot gear pulling the four activists into the jail before the doors closed.

“Penzone has the power to stop ICE from entering the jails and he’s not doing so. This is to put pressure on Sheriff Penzone that he’s still continuing to do harm in our community,” said Cynthia Diaz, 23. Diaz’s mom was arrested by ICE during a raid at their home in 2011. She was deported to Mexico, but obtained asylum three years later and once again lives in the Phoenix area with her family.

Penzone, a Democrat, handily beat Joe Arpaio during the 2016 election, bringing hope to immigrant advocates that a new era of enforcement was coming in. But many now say Penzone is no different than Arpaio, who was convicted of disobeying a judge’s order stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants, pardoned by President Donald Trump and is now running for U.S. Senate.

The sheriff doubled down recently on his cooperation with ICE, saying it’s “both lawful and necessary in our effort to promote public safety while facilitating the mission and authority of other policing agencies.”

Wednesday’s protest was part of a national movement known as Abolish ICE, which aims to end the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. ICE was created after 9/11.

“I think communities have been talking about abolishing ICE for a long time and now it’s picking up steam and it’s really great,” said Brenda Perez, of the national group pushing to abolish ICE. “The sofa at my grandmother’s house is older than ICE ... we don’t have to live in a world with ICE.”

The protest was peaceful with a few tense moments as protesters and counter protesters traded barbs.