PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania State Sen. Art Haywood is asking ICE to take accountability after a Philadelphia recruit took his own life near its Center City office.
“We are here because we are facing a rogue Philly ICE office,” said Haywood outside the ICE Field Office on Eighth Street near Cherry Street on Friday. “It's an office that has disregard for Americans, disregard for immigrants and disregard for its own employees.”
The Washington Post reported that 38-year-old recruit Joseph Moore was set to be fired in late August. They said he shot himself in his car on Aug. 28 while parked near the city’s ICE office. The Medical Examiner’s office confirmed Moore died by suicide.
According to Haywood, Philadelphia’s ICE office did not share what happened for a week.
“And that is completely disgusting because he was a member of that team. Disregarding his worth by not sharing what happened to him, it's outrageous, and it's a terrible statement about the leadership in this office right here,” Haywood said.
According to the Washington Post, ICE had begun quietly firing some of its 12,000 recruits from last year, many of whom joined during last year’s hiring spree.
“His hiring was expedited by the efforts of the Trump administration to take over the streets and harass our neighbors across this nation. He applied for the position, and he got the position, but he got the position without the required background check,” Haywood said.
They said Moore worked with ICE for almost a year.
ICE has not responded to KYW Newsradio’s request for comment.
The recruit was set to be fired
The recruit was set to be fired
