Protesters: Bar ICE from courts

ANGRY ATTORNEYS and community activists hit the streets in Brooklyn Thursday to protest the presence of immigration officers in state courts.

On the steps of Borough Hall, demonstrators called on the Office of Court Administration and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from state courthouses.

“The issue of immigration affects us all,” said Jane-Roberte Sampeur, a Legal Aid lawyer.

“We want to make clear that we will not normalize this behavior and will stand together to protect our immigrant communities,” Sampeur said.

Last week, dozens of lawyers protested outside Brooklyn Supreme Court after a domestic violence suspect was detained by ICE agents while awaiting a hearing.

Court spokesman Lucian Chalfen said in a statement that the courts “do not coordinate with, facilitate or impede actions by outside law enforcement, including ICE agents.”