Philadelphia sheriff Rochelle Bilal has a message for ICE agents
Philadelphia sheriff Rochelle Bilal tells ICE agents “You don’t want this smoke”
- Sheriff Bilal accuses ICE of instilling fear and disrupting communities, calling them 'fake, wannabe law enforcement'.
- Bilal warns ICE agents that they will face consequences if they commit crimes in Philadelphia, drawing both praise and criticism.
- The controversy reignites debates about the role of federal agencies in local jurisdictions and the need for law enforcement to build community trust.
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal has sparked national attention following her appearance on CNN. Simply speaking her mind, Bilal made remarks about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
In an interview with CNN, Bilal elaborated on her stance, criticizing ICE for operating in ways that she believes instill fear and disrupt communities. “People are tired of these people coming into the city, masked up — basically all masked up — and pulling people out and causing havoc,” she said. “This was supposed to be helping cities out, this was supposed to be eliminating crime, but yet, you are committing them here, you are putting people in fear, you are breaking up families.”
Prior to that appearance, she held a press conference addressing the recent fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, Bilal referred to ICE agents as “fake, wannabe law enforcement” and issued a stern warning to those who might commit crimes in Philadelphia.
“If any [ICE agents] want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide, nobody will whisk you off,” Bilal declared. “You don’t want this smoke, because we will bring it to you. The criminal in the White House would not be able to keep you from going to jail.” Her comments, made alongside Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, were in response to growing concerns about ICE’s actions and their impact on communities.
Bilal’s statements quickly went viral, amassing millions of views on social media and drawing both praise and criticism. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump commended her for standing up against what he described as unchecked federal overreach, while critics, including ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, accused her of endangering public safety. Lyons responded on Fox News, challenging Bilal to “try and arrest” ICE agents, adding, “Any time you pit law enforcement officers against law enforcement officers, it makes nobody safe.”
The controversy has reignited debates about the role of federal agencies in local jurisdictions and the accountability of law enforcement. While some have called for reforms to ICE’s practices, others argue that Bilal’s rhetoric undermines cooperation between local and federal authorities.
However, Bilal stands strong in her position, emphasizing the need for law enforcement to build trust with communities rather than erode it. “Law enforcement professionals around the country do their job, and we have been fighting for years to build that bridge between us and our communities,” she stated. “You had one negative nutcase that causes this problem, and now we all have to fight again to let people know law enforcement works with communities.”
You can listen to Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal on WRNB Saturday’s 8:30-9:00am on The Sheriff’s Perspective with Sheriff Rochelle Bilal [CLICK HERE]
Philadelphia sheriff Rochelle Bilal tells ICE agents “You don’t want this smoke” was originally published on rnbphilly.com
