Federal agents arrested 44 protesters Tuesday after demonstrators chained themselves to the entrance of San Francisco's immigration courthouse, blocking access to the building.
The courthouse has been the site of immigration-related arrests and is where many people attend immigration hearings, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Protesters blocked entrances and exits to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.
Police issued an order to disperse shortly before 10 a.m. local time, and many demonstrators said they were willing to be arrested.
Rabbis, priests, and fellow community members began blocking both entrances of the United States Appraisers Building, singing protest songs such as "This Little Light of Mine" and "We Shall Not Be Moved," according to SFGate.
A banner stretching across the building's facade behind them read, "Our Faiths Teach Us: Love Thy Neighbor & Disrupt Injustice."
More than 100 people chanted outside the building as Department of Homeland Security agents worked to clear the entrances.
City firefighters assisted agents by using bolt cutters to remove the chains. KRON-TV reported the fire department said it used "proper tools" to remove them.
"So, we need to have accountability," Gala King, co-executive director of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, an immigrant rights advocacy group, told KGO-TV. "San Francisco is supposed to be a sanctuary city.
"That means no city or county resources are supposed to be helping."
In a statement to KGO, the fire department said it "works with numerous agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. When called upon to assist those in need-protecting life, property, and the environment-we do so with respect and integrity."
DHS said a total of 44 arrests were made.
An organizer told the Chronicle that faith leaders have been coming to the courthouse since July to support illegal aliens as they arrive for check-ins and other court appointments.
The protesters were demanding "love over cruelty," according to KGO.
Demonstrators said their goal was to shut down the courts in response to what they claimed were unjust arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the past several months.
During the demonstration, several dozen people were lined up outside the building waiting for immigration court appointments.
A DHS official later informed them their appointments were canceled and instructed them to go home, the Chronicle reported.
Several DHS officers stood outside the courthouse as demonstrators continued singing in the street, holding signs reading, "Dignity and human rights for all," and "Grandmothers protect dignity for all."
In a statement to Newsmax, DHS rejected claims the demonstration was peaceful.
"On December 16th, over 200 rioters obstructed law enforcement outside the ICE processing center in San Francisco, California," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "Rioters chained themselves to the building's front gate and doors, impeding law enforcement operations.
"The San Francisco Fire Department arrived on the scene and assisted in cutting the chains. ICE officers and FPS then arrested 44 of the obstructing rioters, all of whom appear to be U.S. citizens. This is a developing situation under an ongoing investigation, and ICE will update as necessary."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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