ICE confirms 24 arrests on highway in Centre County, though questions remain
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- ICE arrested 24 people on I-99 in Centre County in a targeted enforcement sweep.
- Two arrestees were publicly identified; most remain unnamed by immigration officials.
- Advocacy groups raised due process concerns and reported additional traffic stops.
The federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement confirmed Monday that its officers arrested two dozen people last week on a highway in Centre County, though several questions remain unanswered.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its officers arrested 24 people for violations of immigration laws in what it described as a “targeted enforcement operation” on Interstate 99 near Bellefonte.
In announcing the Aug. 19 arrests, the agency identified only two people. The identities of the other people — as well as their charges, criminal histories or immigration status — were not disclosed.
Oscar Alexis Martinez-Lopez, of El Salvador, was described by ICE as an “illegal alien” and a suspected member of the violent Central American street gang MS-13. The agency also said he was previously arrested in El Salvador for homicide. It was not immediately clear if he was convicted.
Delfin Amaya-Perez, of Honduras, was similarly described as an illegal immigrant. His criminal record includes convictions for assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in 2011, ICE said.
Each are detained at the Pike County Correctional Facility in northeastern Pennsylvania.
“ICE is focusing on the worst first through targeted enforcement. However, it is also a crime to live in this country illegally,” the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane said in a statement. “Knowing this, ICE has been empowered to vigorously search out, arrest and remove anyone violating federal immigration law.”
ICE said the operation began after an investigation identified multiple “immigration law violators” suspected of temporarily residing at an unspecified location. State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, previously told the Centre Daily Times the men were believed to have been staying at hotels in his district.
After leaving, immigration officers initiated a traffic stop on the highway and made arrests. Seven had final orders of removal and another four had been quickly sent back at the U.S. border during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICE said.
“ICE remains dedicated to upholding the immigration system’s integrity while prioritizing the removals of aliens who undermine the safety and security of the United States,” the agency said.
During a press conference Thursday, immigrant rights advocates from four groups — Centre County Rapid Response Network, People’s Defense Front, Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity and the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition — said 26 men were arrested during the raid, and all were traveling to work at the construction site at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
In addition to the stop on I-99, the groups said additional workers were stopped the same morning on Eagle Valley Road near Interstate 80.
The health system said last week that it did not have information to share because the operation did not occur on its property.
In the days leading up to the arrests, the advocacy groups said workers reported that officers were believed to be surveilling the construction site and following them after their shifts.
They identified the men as nationals from Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. The Rapid Response Network previously said it identified all of the men, but declined to share their names publicly.
“A main focus of CCRRN is protecting the constitutional right to due process. If we take this right away from some, we run the risk of taking it away from all,” the group told the CDT on Tuesday. “Due process appears to be eroding, and unless we all have these rights, eventually many of us may not have them. We have a duty to care for all segments of our population, believing that unless all are safe, none are safe.”
At least some are believed to be detained at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, as well as the Clinton County Correctional Facility.
Despite claims to the contrary, Pennsylvania State Police said its troopers did not assist ICE officers. Trooper Jacob Rhymestine initially said state police at Rockview had “no involvement with any ICE activity in Centre County.”
State police spokesman Myles Snyder later told the CDT multiple troopers stopped along the highway where ICE was operating, but left after being told everything was OK. The troopers were not involved in the operation, Snyder said.
After receiving confirmation from Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office, Takac said state police were alerted ahead of time that there would be ICE activity, but they did not participate in the traffic stops or enforcement action.
“The sense of public safety is quickly eroding here in Centre County amongst immigrant and nonimmigrant community members,” the Rapid Response Network said. “This impacts who goes to school, who goes to work, who thrives and who simply just try to survive. As school started today, we are aware of some families who hesitate to send their children to school.”
What else is known about ICE activity in Centre County?
The Aug. 19 arrests mark the first large-scale ICE arrests in Centre County, though residents and organizations have responded to growing concerns of ICE arrests increasing across the country since President Donald Trump’s second term began.
Rumors of ICE activity in the State College Area School District spread online in January, but the claims were quickly denied by the district. At Penn State, at least 25 international student visas were revoked only to later be reinstated by the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security in May labeled Centre County and State College as “sanctuary jurisdictions,” a classification that has no firm criteria but generally accused them of defying federal immigration law. After widespread criticism, the list was removed days later. Neither the county nor the borough were included on a new list released this month.
ICE said it arrested a Colombian man in March outside of his State College area residence. He was wanted by law enforcement in Panama for aggravated rape of a child, ICE said.
The Rapid Response Network said it was also aware of at least one arrest in April and likely another in May.
Centre County Rapid Response Network has trained more than 85 volunteers to verify and monitor ICE activity in the area. They have a 24-hour hotline at 814-264-4626. Until last week, the group had only dispelled rumors about ICE activity.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 1:24 PM.