Social media is buzzing with rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to ramp up operations in Philadelphia — and many users are responding with a defiant “good luck.”
In recent days, posts on TikTok and X have spread claims that Philadelphia could become the next Democratic-led city targeted for an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration.
But many locals were quick to remind outsiders that the City of Brotherly Love doesn’t always live up to its nickname — with some joking that Philadelphians are known to riot even when their sports teams win.
“Philly people are a different breed,” wrote one user, while another added: “Bro ice is going to be protesting.”
The speculation comes one year into Trump’s second term, during which he has significantly intensified immigration enforcement across the nation, following his promise to carry out the largest deportation program in American history.
In recent weeks, hundreds of federal immigration enforcement agents were deployed to Minneapolis, resulting in numerous arrests and tense stand-offs with residents. Two people were shot by ICE agents amidst the escalation — including 37-year-old Renee Good, who was killed in her car on January 7 — and several citizens have been detained, resulting in widespread protests.
The Trump administration has said the shootings occurred when individuals attempted to interfere with lawful actions of agents, who the president has said are “only trying to do their job.” The White House has also accused Democrats of fueling hostility against ICE, which it claims led to an “unprecedented” spike in assaults against federal officers.
Democratic leaders, in turn, have condemned the agency’s tactics as reckless and excessive, with several state and local officials urging ICE to withdraw from the area.
Meanwhile, the American public is hotly divided over ICE — with 45 percent saying the agency should be abolished, while 45 percent say it should remain intact, according to a recent YouGov survey.
Spokespeople for ICE, the Philadelphia Police Department and the city’s mayor did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Independent.
Philly reacts to potential ICE ramp up
Following anti-ICE protests this weekend in Philadelphia, a number of social media users speculated that the agency is now stepping up its activity in the Democratic-led city. Several posts circulating online appear to show federal agents conducting operations on city streets.
Many users claiming to be city residents said that, unlike in Minneapolis, they won’t be “Minnesota nice.”
“They want to send ICE to Philadelphia, that’s my home town,” one woman said in a video posted to TikTok. “Do they know what Philadelphians are like? I mean this is a city who riots when their team wins. I love my fellow Philadelphians…they are not giving up their neighbors, they are not ratting out other people.”
Another user posted a clip from the hit show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” writing “ICE coming to Philly when most of the city is like this:”
In the clip, a character delivers a lengthy monologue, saying: “I’ve contained my rage for as long as possible, but I shall release my fury upon you like the crushing of a thousand waves.”
Philadelphia — like numerous other Democratic-led cities — has a policy that bars local authorities from assisting ICE without a judicial warrant. The Trump administration has cited such “sanctuary” policies to justify ramped-up enforcement, while Democrats decry its actions as political retribution against blue states.
One apparent Philadelphia resident referenced the city’s infamous rowdiness, writing, “We used to throw snowballs at Santa Claus.”
Another joked that Trump “would have to do the Insurrection Act” to keep order. The president recently threatened to invoke the act — an emergency power not used in over three decades — in Minnesota.
Not all social media users opposed increased immigration enforcement in the city though. “Normal people in Philadelphia welcome ICE and support ICE!!! And Philadelphia needs a lot of cleaning!” one X user wrote on Monday.
Many anti-ICE comments online echo recent statements from city officials, who have forcefully spoken out against the actions of federal agents.
“To ICE and the National Guard: if you commit crimes in Philadelphia, we will charge you and hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner wrote on X on January 10. He included a photo of himself with the acronym “FAFO.”
And, days earlier, Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal delivered a similar warning to ICE agents operating in the city, vowing to prosecute those who commit crimes. “You don’t want this smoke because we will bring it to you,” she said.
Federal immigration officials, however, have criticized this kind of language, while making threats of their own.
“She can bring the smoke, we’ll bring the fire," Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, said during a January 12 interview, when asked about Bilal.
"We’re going to continue doing this job,” Homan, who also oversaw deportations under former President Barack Obama, added. “I don’t know who she is or why a law enforcement official who took a sworn oath to enforce the laws and protect her communities would not want to work with ICE who are out there arresting the worst of the worst.”
And, in a post on X, ICE wrote: Philadelphia ‘Sheriff’ @PhilaSheriff Rochelle Bilal should resign before she embarrasses herself any further. ‘Arresting ICE officers’? Try it. See what happens.”
Appeals for calm
But, as social media brims with fiery rhetoric and officials on both sides of the aisle issue dire warnings, several Democratic leaders have called for cooler heads to prevail.
“I know this is scary,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X earlier this month in an address to state residents. “We can — we must — speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully. We cannot fan the flames of chaos.”
He also appealed directly to Trump: “Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are.”
In a weekend MS NOW interview, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro advocated for finding common ground.
While he criticized Trump for “wreaking havoc” and “eroding trust” in law enforcement, he pushed for comprehensive immigration reform that both Democrats and Republicans can get behind.
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