The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is being blasted by attorneys and advocates across the Bay Area for sending agents into immigration courts this week.
The courts have traditionally been a place where agents have stayed away from, but agents in plain clothes have been spotted in courts in Concord and San Francisco.
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WATCH HEREAdvocates said at least one person has been arrested.
They added that government lawyers are pushing judges to dismiss charges against immigrants so ICE agents can arrest them as they leave court, as they no longer have a pending case.
Attorneys said the tactic has been unsuccessful in the Bay Area, but is spreading fear.
"It's putting people in this, this horrible situation," said Milli Atkinson of the San Francisco Bar Association. "They have the right to apply for asylum. They want to do what's right. They want to follow this process. But they know that there's a risk now that if they try to exercise their rights, they're going to be detained."
Despite the fears, attorneys said they are still advising immigrants to show up to their hearings.
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