'Musical Protest' Against ICE Held In Phoenixville After 2 People Detained

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Dozens gathered in Phoenixville Tuesday night in a candlelit vigil and protest against ICE one month after two local residents were taken into detention.

The peaceful rally featured group singalongs and musical performances, including from the newly formed Phoenixville Singing Resistance group.

Organized dubbed the vigil a "musical call for justice as we raise our voices in song together as a community," and a way to "musically express our grief."

Many of those gathered in front of The Foodery on Bridge Street held "ICE OUT" and similar signs.

The Feb. 3 incident, which occurred in the same parking lot, led to widespread outrage after various videos taken from the scene spread across the Internet.

The video shows at least five masked ICE agents approaching a vehicle in the parking lot.

The video shows agents appearing to violently wrestle one person to the ground. It was later confirmed that two people were taken into custody.

Local leaders said the arrests were accomplishing nothing but spreading terror.

"The images out of Phoenixville showing ICE agents breaking through windows and pulling people from their cars are another grim reminder of the fear being inflicted on members of our community," State Sen. Katie Muth said at the time. "America is a nation of immigrants. What we’re seeing has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with fear and control."

The Phoenixville incident occurred days before a similar, highly publicized ICE incident in Lower Providence Township.

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"(The ICE raids) are about treating human beings like bargaining chips, putting a price on their heads for the sake of headlines instead of doing the hard, necessary work of creating a real, humane path to citizenship," Muth added.

U.S. Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, meanwhile, said that she had "Phoenixville in mind" when she voted days later to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

"We cannot continue to fund a rogue agency operating without accountability," she said.

U.S. Homeland Security has not commented publicly on the Phoenixville arrests.