Immigrant advocates report ICE presence at Filipino supermarket in Washington
Screencap from migrantesouthcenter (Image of ICE agent is for illustration purposes.)
LOS ANGELES – Following a recent wave of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids along the West Coast, Filipino American immigrant rights advocates have reported ICE presence at the Seafood City supermarket in the Seattle metro area.
Witnesses described the ICE operation inside the supermarket at Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, Washington, as sudden and primarily confined to staff areas, according to the advocacy groups Tanggol Migrante and Gabriela Seattle.
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In a video posted on Instagram, Tanggol Migrante members reported that ICE agents entered the facility without a warrant and photographed employees’ documentation. No arrests have been reported or confirmed.
“We’re here in front of Seafood City and we heard that ICE agents entered Seafood City this morning,” one of the members said.
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“They took photos of the workers’ green cards,” said another member. “We confirmed this with trusted contacts. They did not present a warrant to the workers. This is illegal.”
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Inquirer reached out to the Tukwila Seafood City branch by phone for comment but was unable to get through. The store’s answering machine indicated it “was full and could not accept messages.”
Inquirer also contacted the company’s corporate headquarters in Pomona, California, for confirmation of the incident. A spokesperson, who requested anonymity, stated, “Seafood City management is not aware of the incident.”
Meanwhile, Tanggol Migrante Network continues to appeal for the release of Filipino labor union leader Max Londonio and others “who have been wrenched from their families under the Trump administration’s brutal attacks on migrants.”
“Max Londonio has been a pillar of support, not only for his wife, Crystal, and their daughters, who depend on him financially and as a loving father, but also for his fellow detained migrants at the Northwest Detention Center,” the group said in a statement.
