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FBI agents startled Maribel Caballero at about 7:30 a.m. June 26 as they entered her Watkins-Street home and eventually led her husband from the residence at gunpoint. Authorities did not explain themselves or give a reason for their actions, she said.
“My husband was taken away in a very traumatic way,” she said in Spanish as Miguel Andrade, the youth organizer for Juntos, 2029 S. Eighth St., translated. “… They had gone inside and started asking questions [like] if he was living there. I got so scared because I had no idea why the agents were inside my house.”
Caballero, who emigrated from Mexico 10 years ago, is one of many affected that day throughout South Philly’s eastern portion. Juntos, which means “together” in Spanish, received many calls from scared Latino families wondering why authorities had questioned them and entered their homes, which prompted Caballero and others to speak up at a press conference July 3 at Ninth and Ellsworth streets.
“They began at 6 a.m. in the morning, breaking down doors to peoples’ homes, pulling children out of their beds, pulled out guns in front of children, questioned community members without interpretation and questioned children without their parents present,” Erika Almirón, Juntos’ executive director and a native of 15th and Tasker streets, said referencing law enforcement officers.
That day the FBI led a joint effort with the Philadelphia Police Department, as well as local and federal probation officers in an anti-gun violence and gang initiative called Operation Pinpoint, according to an FBI source familiar with the case. The initiative is an expanded effort of District Attorney’s Office’s anti-gun violence program, Focused Deterrence.
While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not involved in the mission, the department was called afterward if and when needed.
“If other violations were discovered in the course of carrying out our efforts and they presented themselves, then we looked into them and dealt with them on a case-by-case basis, but it was by no means an immigration raid,” the source said.
While it is unclear if Caballero’s husband was taken into custody as a result of the operation, as no charges have been filed, Caballero witnessed her husband being taken away as authorities pointed a gun or possibly a Taser at him, she said.
“I told [the agents] that he wasn’t there even though he was,” Caballero said of her husband who was found upstairs and escorted from the home. “… They ended up taking my husband away even against the protest of his children [ages 8 and 3].
“The fear and the trauma that happened in my household is still present. My children are still scared to this day, and I think it’s completely unfair that this is happening. And I just ask that these types of injustices stop in my community.”
Residents lined the Italian Market corner July 3 with signs and chanted “Si se puede” and Ni una mas,” which mean “Yes, we can” and “Not one more” in Spanish, respectively. They also spoke of freedom — a day before the 237th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Latino residents reported about a dozen cases to Juntos, but Almirón, a Germantown resident whose family hails from Paraguay, has heard there were more. She also knows that day authorities picked up at least five people, but the FBI is not releasing how many were arrested as Operation Pinpoint is not complete. While she and her staff are working on following up on the incidents, she is proud of those brave enough to tell their story to a broader audience.
“I don’t think it’s easy for our community to come out and talk about these abuses,” she said. “I know if I’m afraid and I’m executive director of this organization, I also know that every family and every community member is afraid.”
Aidee and Jose Luis Martinez were two of those courageous speakers.
Federal agents questioned the siblings — ages 15 and 11, respectively — for about 30 minutes outside of their Fifth-and-Tasker-streets home at about 9:50 a.m. June 26, Aidee said. They asked about a man whom the pair did not know, who lived in their house and what nationality they were. When Jose Luis wanted to retrieve his mother from inside, the agents allegedly grabbed him and told him he couldn’t go.
Soon their mother came down wondering why her children weren’t answering her when she called. She then was questioned as well with her children translating.
“I felt scared because they did not let me get my mom, and they wanted my mom to come outside of my house,” Jose Luis said. “If they want to talk to me, they need to call first and have our parents present, but most of all, I want my community to be left in peace.”
“We need to do something public against these kinds of abuses and let them know that our community will not stay quiet as these abuses continue,” Aidee, 15 added in Spanish with Almirón translating. “We have to raise our voice, and we have to be united and open the doors of communication to ensure that we are all safe and that we can live free from fear in our community.”
Much of the confusion was caused by a lack of understanding. Juntos alleges warrants were not clearly present and little if any interpretation was provided to the predominantly Spanish-speaking households.
The FBI source claims if children were questioned, it may have been by participating probation officers and not FBI agents. Also, any raids that were conducted would have had a valid warrant.
“Anywhere where it was, doors were knocked on and people or neighbors were spoken to in more informal ways,” the source said. “It was ‘Hey, we’re looking for bad guys. Do you know them.’ — things sort of like that.”
Regardless, these actions break down trust between law enforcement and the immigrant community, Almirón said.
“As immigration reform is being discussed on a national level, Philadelphia should serve as an example of how to be an immigrant-friendly city, and this is not an immigrant-friendly city if our families and children are treated this way, and police and ICE collaborations still exist, and our families are torn apart,” Almirón said.
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