Alleged immigration agents approaching strangers at local stores

PITTSBURGH — There are multiple reports of people, believed to be Latino, being approached by people who allegedly work for the Department of Homeland Security in the East End of Pittsburgh.

"I’d say over 10, at least, like over a dozen complaints that have come in," said Wasi Mohamed, a local Muslim activist.

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That's how many complaints Mohamed said have come in from people who say they've been profiled by people acting as alleged ICE agents.

"The conversation starts with, 'Do you know where the bathroom?' is in Spanish, and if somebody is able to respond, then the follow up question is about where you’re from and what is your citizenship status," Mohamed said.

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It's a similar experience that Mohamed said happened to an African-American woman. Earlier this week, at the Whole Foods in East Liberty, Mohamed said a man dressed in street clothes approached the woman, asking her where the bathroom was in Spanish.

“She told me she tried to get away from the situation quickly because of the anxiety she was feeling from being approached," Mohamed said.

Mohamed said the woman took a picture of the man.

"She went back and saw him interacting with other people doing the same thing. Took a picture, sent that picture over and the local activists recognized that person as a local ICE agent, that has been working in the community and doing these things," Mohamed said.

Channel 11 received this statement from the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the situation:

ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately. ICE conducts targeted immigration enforcement in compliance with federal law and agency policy.  All enforcement activities are conducted with the same level of professionalism and respect that ICE officers exhibit every day.

After looking into this more, ICE sent Channel 11 an additional statement on Friday:

If members of the community are approached by someone purporting to be a federal immigration officer, they should respectfully request to see the person's badge and credentials.

If the individual is unable to present a badge and credentials it should raise a red flag. People should also be suspicious if the "officer" demands money or if he/she detains someone and refuses to disclose where they are being taken.

If members of the community suspect they've been contacted by an "imposter" immigration officer, they should report the encounter immediately to local law enforcement and/or call ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) 24-hour toll free tip line at 1-877-2INTAKE or email Joint.Intake@dhs.gov.   

Cox Media Group