ICE Raids Pittsburgh Worksite, Detains Six Workers Despite Valid Paperwork

In a disturbing display of immigration enforcement overreach, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained six workers at a Pittsburgh gutter company’s job site on Tuesday morning. Surveillance footage shows employees of OK Service scattering as a black car pulls up and agents begin chasing them near Orchard Place and Knox Avenue in Mount Oliver.

Omar Millan, the business owner, was away getting materials when the raid unfolded. By the time he arrived, six of his workers had been detained, though at least three were later released. Millan insists that all his employees have valid work documentation, including Pennsylvania licenses, immigration paperwork, and in at least one case, a green card. “Every guy have paper or something like that,” Millan told KDKA, expressing frustration that speaking Spanish might have made his workers targets.

This raid is emblematic of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics that often disregard due process and the rights of workers who are legally present or in the process of legalizing their status. Despite Millan’s assurances, ICE has not clarified whether any of the detained workers are wanted for criminal activity, leaving families and coworkers in limbo.

The raid’s impact rippled through the nearby Hilltop Community Children’s Center, where preschool teacher Katie Murphy witnessed the chaos. Her eight-year-old son’s reaction—“I thought monsters weren’t real”—captures the fear and trauma these raids inflict on immigrant communities.

Local activists and nonprofits like Frontline Dignity quickly mobilized to support the affected workers and their families. Jaime Martinez, executive director of Frontline Dignity, emphasized their commitment to defending immigrant dignity amid what he described as “one of the worst moments of their lives.”

Millan worries that the situation could worsen, as his workers live under the shadow of suspicion simply for speaking Spanish or being immigrants. This raid underscores the urgent need for accountability and reform in immigration enforcement, which continues to tear apart families and communities despite legal protections.

ICE did not respond to requests for comment as of Tuesday, leaving unanswered questions about the justification for the raid and the fate of those detained.

This incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing assault on immigrant rights and the human cost of unchecked immigration enforcement under the current administration. We will keep tracking these abuses and demanding transparency and justice for all workers targeted in raids like this.