BETHLEHEM, Pa. — More than 500 people gathered in Bethlehem Thursday evening to protest an immigration raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Five 10 Flats apartment complex.
The protest began around 6:30 p.m. across the street from Five10 Flats, where ICE agents detained 17 workers on June 11. Community members gave speeches in both English and Spanish, aided by a live translator. The crowd was encouraged to lock arms in solidarity before marching peacefully across the Fahy Bridge to Bethlehem City Hall.
Chants included “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here” and “Up, up with liberation, down, down with deportation.”
The protest remained peaceful despite a brief disruption from individuals not affiliated with the event who attempted to move the gathering into the street. By 7:30 p.m., the crowd had swelled to more than 500 outside City Hall, where the demonstration concluded with additional speeches and calls to action.
No arrests or injuries were reported.
Mary Walsh, a 19-year-old Kutztown University student and 16-year resident of Bethlehem, helped coordinate the event and rally turnout.
“After seeing ICE detain the folks on the SouthSide yesterday, I knew we needed immediate action,” Walsh said. “I had waited long enough for someone else and couldn’t stand it anymore. They are in our backyard, tearing apart families who were rebuilding housing for our community.”
The demonstration in Bethlehem followed a series of immigration raids nationwide, including in Los Angeles, where ICE agents have been joined by more than 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines under federal orders.
The deployment, authorized by President Donald Trump under Title 10, has drawn criticism and legal challenges.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an emergency motion to block military involvement in immigration enforcement. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has also declined to authorize the use of state military personnel to support ICE operations.
The raid at Five10 Flats involved agents from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division. Those detained had been working to repair damage from a previous fire. The Bethlehem Police Department said it received a courtesy notification of the operation but was not involved in the arrests.
“The department is unaware of the existence or status of any federal arrest warrants related to this incident,” the department said in a statement Wednesday.
Community organizers framed the raid as part of a broader federal strategy, they say, that targets vulnerable populations. Speakers called for greater transparency, legal support for detainees, and strengthened local protections for immigrant residents.
Under current policy, Bethlehem police do not assist ICE in civil immigration enforcement and are instructed not to question individuals about immigration status unless required by law. The city does not participate in federal programs that allow local collaboration with ICE, and officers act only on judicial warrants.
“We need education, resources, camaraderie,” Walsh said. “I want people to stay upset. We need to come together now more than ever. I want neighbors protecting their block. I want action… This was just the start of something big for the Lehigh Valley.”
