ICE arrests 14 illegal immigrants during raid at Norristown, PA grocery store
Some onlookers hurled accusations at the agents, calling them “Nazis” and “Gestapo” and questioning how they explain their jobs to their children.
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Some onlookers hurled accusations at the agents, calling them “Nazis” and “Gestapo” and questioning how they explain their jobs to their children.
Federal immigration authorities arrested 14 illegal immigrants during a high-profile raid Wednesday morning at the Super Gigante food market in Norristown, PA, part of a broader uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity across Montgomery County.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the operation began around 8 am, when ICE agents, some dressed in military-style gear and others in plain clothes, arrived at the popular grocery store with a warrant to search the premises. Store management said the agents swept the business and detained several employees. ICE officials confirmed the arrests, stating all 14 individuals lacked legal immigration status and are now in custody pending deportation proceedings.
Agents from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service reportedly joined ICE during the court-authorized search.
“This is an ongoing investigation, and no further information will be released at this time,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
Video footage showed heavily armed agents in tactical gear, masks, and helmets outside the store, as they were confronted by angry bystanders. Some onlookers hurled accusations at the agents, calling them “Nazis” and “Gestapo” and questioning how they explain their jobs to their children.
The Super Gigante market, located in a busy shopping plaza, has reportedly been visited by ICE agents at least three times this year, one employee said. The earlier visits included one incident in which agents tracked a vehicle and another where they made an arrest outside the store.
The latest raid follows a recent escalation in federal immigration enforcement targeting jurisdictions designated as “sanctuary” areas. Montgomery County is among those singled out by former President Donald Trump, who has long criticized local governments that decline to assist federal immigration authorities. Trump has vowed to cut off federal funding to such jurisdictions, part of a broader crackdown on undocumented immigration.
The sweep at Super Gigante and the earlier arrests at Hatfield Village Apartments near Lansdale on Sunday suggest a coordinated effort by ICE to ramp up operations in the region.
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