El Pasoans protest against ICE raids

Local organizations are teaming up and protesting in support of families going to immigration court in El Paso.

Organizations like Casa Carmelita are heading to the Richard C. White Federal Building at 8 a.m. to protest against families or people from possibly getting arrested or detained while attending their court hearing.

ABC-7 is working to confirm if detention and arrests are happening after the dismissal of these cases here in El Paso.

On Tuesday, Casa Carmelita was seen outside of building informing people of their options before their hearings, passing out flyers with that information – such as if a federal judge dismisses their case, they can file an appeal.

Angel Ortiz representing the coalition told ABC-7 that they need to be prepared for anything to happen at their court date.

"What the biggest injustice I think people feel is, to gone through all of that, gone through everything the government has required them, including showing up today, knowing that they could potentially be arrested to get that day in front of a court of federal judge where you could present your evidence, your testimony, and to just literally be set aside," said Ortiz.

Estrella Del Paso also says if that happens, there's several options:

• You can appeal the governments motion to dismiss your immigration case.
• Make sure you have an attorney with you at the court — It can be an attorney from anywhere in the country.
• There is also the option to attend virtually through zoom if you feel uncomfortable attending physically. 

"You keep hearing all the time, 'Do it the right way, follow the process, do what you're being told to do,' and that's exactly what people are doing," says Executive Director Melissa M. Lopez. "They're going to court, they're showing up for their process to see it through. And now the federal government is taking advantage of that."

The City of El Paso also told ABC-7 that law enforcement will be communicating with each other and they encourage everyone to protest peacefully and lawfully.

One protester telling ABC-7 "We feel that it needs to stop. We need to do whatever we can to stop the nonsense. This is what happened in Nazi Germany. And we don't want that in our country. We want democracy. We want everybody to have due process."

Some were out solely to inform migrants of their rights.

"In the United States that's in the here, whether citizen or not, are afforded the protections of the fourth, fifth and Sixth Amendment's due process, pretty much, and that those rights are being denied at this point," Xavier Miranda.

The Chairman of the Republican Party, Mike Aboud saying:

"ICE is targeting known criminals who have violently killed, raped or attacked American citizens. Now these protesters, turned violent rioters, are assaulting local and federal law enforcement officers. The protests taking place downtown are in solidarity with the violent rioters who are undermining the very democracy they are claiming to protect. The American people voted for stronger enforcement of immigration laws to protect our families and neighbors. These protests are not standing for Americans, they are standing with foreign invaders."