Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner held a press conference on Thursday and issued a stark warning to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Krasner told ICE agents who are in his city, or planning to come to his city, to “get the F out of here” if they were coming to “commit crimes.” Krasner’s press conference was in response to the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot after seemingly driving her car into an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this week. The press conference was somewhat unusual, given that the incident had no connection to Philadelphia whatsoever.
“Let me be clear,” Krasner said. “If any law enforcement agent — any ICE agent — is going to come to Philly to commit crimes, then you can get the F out of here. Because if you do that here, I will charge you with those crimes, you will be arrested, you will stand trial, you will be convicted — whether it’s in state or federal court, it’s my office prosecuting it, that’s how the law works — and you will do your time. Because Donald Trump cannot pardon you for a state court conviction.”
Some Philadelphians expressed confusion over Krasner’s press conference, or its necessity. They wondered why their city’s district attorney was holding a press conference about an event that occurred over 1100 miles away.
Krasner added that if any federal law enforcement officer committed a crime in his city, they would indeed face jail time.
“Do you hear me, ICE agents? Do you hear me, National Guard? Do you hear me, military? You’re going to jail if you commit crimes in the city of Philadelphia!” Krasner yelled into a microphone.
Krasner’s words were the latest in his rebuke of President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration enforcement efforts throughout the country. In the past, Krasner has regularly objected to the deployment of National Guard troops in cities throughout the U.S. and has been an ardent critic of Trump, frequently calling him a “fascist,” a “Nazi,” and often comparing him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“You will be accountable. The law applies to all of you,” Krasner said.
Krasner did specify that his comments were not for all law enforcement officers, but rather for those who allegedly break the law.
“There are honest, decent, moral law enforcement officers by the bushel. This is not for you,” Krasner said. “This is for any one of your colleagues who thinks they are above the law.”