'They Took My Husband': ICE Agents Detain Man At Bristol Courthouse - LevittownNow.com

Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

A routine morning of hearings at District Judge David Chichilitti’s courthouse in Bristol Borough descended into moments of chaos Wednesday after federal agents detained a man in the parking lot.

Edisson Guaman, 27, of Bensalem Township, had just concluded a hearing regarding a DUI case out of Bristol Township and waived the case to the Court of Common Pleas.

Guaman was free on unsecured bail pending a future court date when he was intercepted outside by men reportedly identifying themselves as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as he reached his vehicle with his wife and toddler-aged son around 11 a.m.

An ICE spokesperson did not respond to a request for more information and comment on the incident.

Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

The man’s wife, a U.S. citizen, said her husband was placing their toddler son into the back of their sedan when six men rushed in. They grabbed her husband and shoved her.

Shocked by what had happened, she ran back into the lobby of the courthouse on Bath Street.

Inside the courthouse, the proceeding was interrupted by wails and screams of “they took my husband” echoing from the lobby.

“Jesus Christ. They didn’t have to do it like that,” an older woman in the lobby said loudly.

The man’s wife stated her husband was in the country on an asylum visa with work authorization and had a scheduled meeting with federal immigration officials next month.

“We came here with so much help from God just so he can get deported,” she said. “He works, he cooks, he cleans, he pays all the bills.”

“How are they going to put hands on me and take my husband from my child?” the woman asked as strangers rushed to help her. “I can’t do this by myself. I can’t take care of my child and the bills.”

Paul Lang, Guaman’s criminal defense attorney, appeared aghast as he assisted the woman in coordinating with the family’s immigration lawyer.

A nonprofit group was called by a witness to provide assistance for the mother and child.

Numerous bystanders and Bristolians came to help the woman, giving her water, tissues, and hugs.

Bristol Borough police officers, who were at the courthouse for scheduled court cases, said they were not notified of the ICE operation and seemed surprised.

A deputy constable checked on the woman after Guaman was taken.

“I’m so sorry, honey,” one bystander told the crying woman.

“It’s OK. It had to be a mistake,” another person comforting the woman said.

Aside from what Guaman’s wife relayed in the courthouse lobby, further details on his immigration status, whereabouts, and location were not immediately avaible.

Guaman’s only other court interaction in Bucks County was for a traffic ticket in 2024, which he pleaded guilty to and paid a fine, according to public records.

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While federal law enforcement agencies often advise local police departments of operations, sources stated that police across Bucks County frequently receive no prior notice from ICE. One official recalled a previous incident where the department only learned of an ICE action after a reporter called to inquire about it and another where they learned of ICE activity after a concerned resident reported seeing armed men grabbing a pedestrian.

Credit: ICE

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Law enforcement sources confirmed numerous detainments by ICE or assisting agencies in Bucks County since the start of the Trump administration’s crackdown. A federal website only lists a handful of detainments in Bucks County, including in Doylestown and Fairless Hills, but the real count is higher.

At least one other person has been detained by ICE outside county district courthouses in recent weeks, according to sources. The Bucks County Courier Times reported that two men were detained by ICE at the Bucks County Justice Center last year.

Last month, Bucks County Sheriff Daniel Ceisler, a Democrat, withdrew the office from the federal 287(g) program, which granted certain deputies immigration enforcement powers.

Ceisler stated in January that Bucks County is not a “sanctuary county.”

“We are continuing to maintain an open dialogue with ICE and all of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” Ceisler said last month, noting the office continues to cooperate in certain circumstances, as has long been the agency’s policy.