Valley father detained by ICE while driving to work sparks protest for release
In the early hours of June 4, 48-year-old Joel Gutierrez was driving his coworker to a home they were renovating in Phoenix when their work van was stopped by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers.
Agents pulled Gutierrez and his coworker out of the van and arrested them. ICE agents scattered Neatly stacked papers and a packed lunchbox throughout the car.
Gutierrez was taken to the Central Arizona Florence Detention Center, where he remains today. His coworker was arrested, too. Both men are undocumented.
On June 8, around 100 people gathered at University Park on Van Buren Street just west of downtown Phoenix at an event organized by the Phoenix chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation to call for Gutierrez's release and protest the Trump administration's sweeping and aggressive immigration policies.
'My dad is honestly the best person there is,' Gutierrez's daughter, Denise, 19, told the crowd. 'He is the sweetest, most understanding person, and he truly does not deserve to be where he is right now.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Gutierrez's detention comes at a time when the Trump administration has ordered ICE to boost deportation numbers by focusing their efforts on largely law-abiding immigrants, which has spurred a slew of workplace raids and targeting people seeking relief in immigration courts.
During his campaign, President Trump promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, calling it the 'largest domestic deportation operation in American history.'
The administration's plans have ramped up throughout the year, with a new plan taking shape in recent weeks to deport 'the worst first' in the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
Since January, according to federal data, ICE has arrested over 26,000 people. The agency says 995 of those arrests have taken place in Phoenix.
Across the country, ICE has carried out raids at workplaces and immigration courts. On June 7, a workplace raid at a Home Depot in the working-class Los Angeles enclave of Paramount set off a weekend of intense and chaotic protests. Trump has since seized operational control of the California National Guard and deployed 4,000 soldiers to the city, as well as several hundred U.S. Marines.
Denise said that her father believes he was profiled because of his work van. Joel told his family later that he noticed ICE officers following him before he was stopped.
'He has one of those big white vans that you see everywhere, and they simply stopped him because they saw the van,' Denise said at the protest. 'They assumed that there's probably someone in there who doesn't have legal status.'
Gutierrez unsuccessfully attempted to earn citizenship several times, but remained in the country with his family, Denise said.
Joel came to the United States from Mexico with Denise's mother in 2000, when they were in their early 20s. They settled in Mesa to start a life.
Joel and his wife had four children — two immigrated from Mexico, but two were born here and are United States citizens. Their youngest is a nine-year-old boy.
'My nine-year-old little brother and my dad are very close, because that's his only boy,' Denise said. 'They play soccer almost every day, and right now, this is a situation that we never thought we would have to live in.'
The crowd marched from the park to the Arizona Capitol building, Phoenix Police Department cars and motorcycles lurking around every corner. The group eventually arrived back at the park.
'I'm just sick and tired of seeing my people be taken away for no reason,' said Marilyn Ramos, 24, as she marched with the crowd. 'I feel like, if they're really criminals, why are they going after people out at the workplace? … It's giving Hitler, and I don't like that.'
As these raids ramp up in other cities including Miami, Chicago, and New York, local advocacy groups are concerned that Phoenix could be next.
On Monday, several local groups announced that ICE raids were planned in Phoenix throughout the week, and warned immigrant communities to be on alert.
'Community organizations have received credible information that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be conducting mass workplace raids in the Phoenix area this week,' Puente Arizona said in a written statement. 'Particularly targeting businesses that have previously been audited for employing undocumented workers.'
In January, Trump signed an executive order that greatly expanded the expedited removal process, reviving a 2019 program that fast-tracked deportations for immigrants, oftentimes without any due process.
In late May, ICE agents detained more than a dozen people outside the Phoenix immigration court across two days as part of the Trump administration's crackdown.
Denise said on Sunday that Joel is being held in an overcrowded facility with poor treatment and little food.
'They're moving my dad to a different part of the facility because of how insanely crowded it is,' Denise told the Mirror on June 9. 'They don't get any time outside. It's really terrible, and that's what makes it really hard on my dad.'
There is no publicly available data on the Florence facility's capacity and current population. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not answer emailed questions.
Several of the rally-goers spoke about their personal experiences with immigration and expressed deep concern that Phoenix could be targeted.
'This system is barbaric, yet it is exactly how it's designed,' said Dania Duran, an organizer with PSL. 'Both Republicans and Democrats have demonized immigrants as a tool to incite fear in people and a tool to make themselves richer.'
A GoFundMe for the family has raised over $5,000, which will go towards legal fees and paying bills that Joel was primarily responsible for.
'My sisters and I have been doing everything possible to kind of get our story out there, because this really is terrible, and it's not just happening to our family,' Denise said. 'It's happening all over the United States right now, to multiple families, people with different stories than ours.'
Phoenix-area immigration advocacy groups were advising community members on Tuesday to avoid areas that may be targeted for deportations and to know their legal rights.
'We are asking people at risk of deportation to stay away from places where confirmed raids are happening and other high risk areas if they can,' said Casey Clowes, a spokesperson for the nonprofit advocacy group Progress Arizona in a written statement. 'We are calling on allies to report ICE activity to the Phoenix Hotline by calling or texting (480) 506-7437 and get trained in Migra Watch so you can safely and peacefully bear witness and document ICE's actions.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump's plan for White House ballroom sparks outrage from his critics
President Trump's plans to add a massive $200 million ballroom to the White House is angering critics, who see him moving forward with the long-sought project as part of his desire to leave a lasting mark not only on the office of the presidency but the first house as well. The construction of the ballroom, the cost of which the White House says will be covered by Trump and other donors, will begin in September. Trump is also paving the White House Rose Garden (though the rose bushes will be saved), which the White House says is necessary so people can walk more easily for events held in the space. And he's added his personal gold touch to the Oval Office. Trump says he sees the ballroom as a way to add to his legacy. And while detractors say his decorative and more substantial changes are out of touch and ostentatious, he says they are necessary. 'I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom because they should have one,' he told reporters Thursday. 'So we'll be leaving it, it will be a great legacy project. And, I think it will be special.' When asked if any government funds will be used to construct the 90,000 square foot facility, Trump replied, 'no government dollars, no.' The White House said the sprawling event space will be built adjacent to the White House where the East Wing sits. The goal is to complete construction before the end of Trump's term in January 2029. Trump's vision is for a space where he and future presidents can host state dinners, large gatherings with business leaders and other ritzy parties or functions. 'We've been planning it for a long time,' Trump said. 'They've wanted a ballroom at the White House for more than 150 years. There's never been a president that was good at ballrooms. I'm really good.' Democrats and regular Trump critics offered a sharp pushback on his plans. 'This is what DOGE was all about, folks,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a video posted to social media hours after the White House announcement, referring to the president's Department of Government Efficiency. 'Cutting things from you, and giving it not to some place that needed it, giving it to the big shots who run the show, Donald Trump at the top of the list.' Others suggested Trump and his White House were planting an intentional distraction. 'You gotta hand it to MAGAs, for about a week they really did have everyone convinced they cared about kids and The Epstein Files,' journalist and pundit Seth Abramson wrote on social platform X. 'On to more important things! Did you hear Trump is building a $200M ballroom at the White House? Wowee!' The White House pushed back on those criticisms in a Friday statement to The Hill, saying 'as President Trump has said, for over 150 years, many presidents, administrations, and staff have all wanted a ballroom, and now we have a president who will accomplish building it.' 'President Trump is the best builder and developer in the entire world and the American people can rest well knowing that this project is in his hands,' a West Wing spokesperson said. 'Many future presidents and American citizens will enjoy it for generations to come.' The president, a longtime real estate mogul who is known for a hands-on approach in the design and construction of his resorts, golf courses and skyscraper office buildings, has long lamented the lack of sufficient event space at the White House. 'When it rains it's a disaster, and the tent's 100 yards, that's more than a football field away from the main entrance,' Trump said as part of his remarks to the press about the project. 'And people are shlopping down to the tent; it's not a pretty sight. The women with their lovely evening gowns, their hair all done, and they're a mess by the time they get [there].' There is longstanding precedent for presidents and first ladies putting their spin on the White House and its grounds. President Harry Truman oversaw a massive renovation from 1948 to 1952 that required he and his wife to move into the Blair House at the time and saw the White House completely gutted. Former first lady Jackie Kennedy, however, championed the historic preservation of the home and advocated that extreme renovations require oversight from the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. 'Every president and first family does make a mark on the White House — they already are a part of history and that snapshot in time,' said Anita McBride, former chief of staff to then-first lady Laura Bush. 'Since the cornerstone was laid, there have been additions, there have been changes that, at the time those happened, raised concerns.' The White House Historical Association welcomed Trump's planned ballroom. 'The history of the White House has evolved over 233 years since the cornerstone was laid in 1792. The South Portico, the North Portico, the East Wing, the West Wing, and the Truman Balcony all raised concerns at the time — but today, we can't imagine the White House without these iconic elements,' Stewart D. McLaurin, president of the association, told The Hill. He added, 'Since our founding by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, we have supported and partnered with every president and first lady caring for and adding to the White House and its Collection. We work to preserve the history of this remarkable museum, home, and office for generations to come.' Some agree with the president that a bigger events space at the White House is long overdue. 'I can understand why someone who thinks on a grand scale, as obviously President Trump does, would want this ballroom added,' said Barbara Perry, a presidential historian and co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. 'That being said, the optics for people who disagree with this president, it will probably have an impact on how they view this.' McBride agreed that the tents on the lawn, which have been constructed during more recent administrations, are not ideal. 'That doesn't come without challenges, putting up staging, putting up a covered structure, getting people to the actual location; dealing with inclement weather. And you're not really having your event in the White House,' she said. 'So you can see where that makes sense.' There are lingering questions about what the new ballroom location will mean for the staffers who work in the East Wing, which is where first lady's staff works. The East Wing is also where tours of the White House for the public are conducted. 'Betty Ford always called the East Wing the 'heart' of the White House,' McBride said. 'All the business and policy gets done in the West Wing, that's critically important. But the heart of the White House is the East Wing. And so what, what will be the new East Wing?' Others see the construction of an opulent addition to the president's residence as a matter of bad timing and poor optics given sluggish jobs reports and fears about how global tariffs might hurt the U.S. economy. 'This isn't something that's going to make or break another election, but it does add another page to the catalog of hypocrisy that these people read from when they want to lecture Americans about fiscal responsibility,' said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic political strategist. 'It's a visible middle finger to working class Americans, many of whom voted for him.'
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Appeals court upholds order barring DHS from immigration sweeps based on language, job
A federal appeals court upheld a lower ruling on Friday barring the Trump administration from solely considering race, language or employment as reasonable suspicion to detain migrants. Their decision blocks Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from conducting 'indiscriminate immigration operations' as alleged by the plaintiffs in court filings. A group of five immigrants and four civil rights organizations filed a filed a lawsuit in early July alleging that immigration operations are based on racial bias, reporting harassment as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents flooded street corners, bus stops, parking lots, agricultural sites, day laborer corners and other places with checkpoints. On July 12, Judge Maame E. Frimpong, a Biden appointee, issued the temporary restraining order after he said he was presented with a 'mountain of evidence' proving ICE's arrests and stops were unconstitutional, according to The Associated Press. A day before Frimpong's ruling, 200 California farm workers were arrested resulting in at least one death. Communities in the Golden State have been protesting the deportation raids and arrests, citing cruelties. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said if the Trump administration is not purposefully targeting individuals and communities, Frimpong's order should not block their efforts. 'If, as Defendants suggest, they are not conducting stops that lack reasonable suspicion, they can hardly claim to be irreparably harmed by an injunction aimed at preventing a subset of stops not supported by reasonable suspicion,' the panel of three judges wrote, per the AP. A future hearing for the order is slated for September as reported by the newswire. For now, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D-Calif.) celebrated the ruling as a protective covering for local residents. 'The Temporary Restraining Order that has been protecting our communities from immigration agents using racial profiling and other illegal tactics when conducting their cruel and aggressive enforcement raids and sweeps will remain in place for now,' she said in a Friday statement.
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Electricity cost concerns grow amid push for more AI data centers
As tech companies race to power data centers to support artificial intelligence services, some Americans are reporting spikes in their electricity bills. The Trump administration recently released an ' AI Action Plan,' which vowed to expedite permitting for the construction of energy-intensive data centers. During the unveiling of the plan, President Trump acknowledged the growing need for power to run these centers, which are being built across the country by companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft. New reporting by the Washington Post suggests consumers are seeing a spike in their energy bills because of these data centers. According to the report, customers in the areas serviced by PJM Interconnection have seen their electricity bills increase. In Ohio, prices are up between 10 percent and 15 percent, while in New Jersey, prices have increased 20 percent. Experts have told NewsNation that a 5-gigawatt data center could use more energy a year than many states — but they insist Big Tech growth isn't solely to blame for the recent price increases. 'Data centers are affecting electricity, but they are affecting electricity planning at this point. They are not necessarily affecting electricity bills,' said Tricia Pridemore, president of the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARC). 'These large AI data centers that you keep hearing about on the news, they are in the planning and construction phase at this point.' Supply and demand are believed to be behind cost increases in the PJM territory, which has a reorganized market. They have a capacity auction in which power industries bid to supply enough electricity in the future. Right now, there is a greater demand because more supply will be needed for these data centers. At PJM's recent auction, prices went up a record 22 percent, according to Reuters. 'Within reorganized markets such as PJM, MISO, SPP, they go out and use independent power producers to generate electricity,' Pridemore said. 'Based upon the electricity that is available, those market prices drive the cost of the electricity to anyone in the system, whether it's a residential customer or a commercial or a business customer.' The NARC president added that data centers can reduce their power usage and cost by using renewable energy, and some are already tapping into solar energy.
