Upper Darby council demands authorities investigate death of Parady La while in ICE custody
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers’ heavy presence in Minneapolis continues to stoke heated debate across the country, the outcry over ICE activity in Upper Darby is also intensifying.
Kyle McIntyre, a newly sworn in at-large council member in Upper Darby, posted a statement on Jan. 13 calling for local and state officials to investigate the death of Cambodian immigrant Parady La while in ICE custody. McIntyre said La was arrested by ICE agents while on his way to Fresh Grocer on 69th Street in Upper Darby and died within 48 hours.
La’s family has told news outlets that he long struggled with drug addiction and did not receive proper care for withdrawal symptoms while in the Federal Detention Center in Center City Philadelphia.
“As an Upper Darby Township Councilperson, I am calling for a full and independent investigation into Parady La’s death,” McIntyre said, calling on Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse to probe the incident. “The circumstances surrounding his detention, medical treatment, monitoring, and the delay in notifying his family are deeply troubling and demand immediate accountability.”
In a statement released on Jan. 9, ICE acknowledged that La died after his Jan. 6 arrest but said he was receiving care for severe drug withdrawal before being found unresponsive in his cell. The statement also outlined La’s criminal history, which includes convictions for robbery, forgery and driving under the influence.
Meanwhile, some residents in Upper Darby are imploring township officials to push back on ICE raids and arrests in their neighborhoods.
“Many of us have been shaken by reports and sightings of rampant ICE activity in and around Upper Darby,” Md. Saminar Rahman said at a Jan. 5 township council meeting. “For some people, this may sound like policy or procedure, but for many families, many of whom come from immigrant backgrounds like myself, it sounds like terror.”
Rahman continued: “It sounds like people wondering whether their relatives will come home; it sounds like people intentionally avoiding places of worship, schools, hospitals and workplaces — not because they personally have done something wrong, but because survival has taught them to stay invisible.”
Fellow resident Imani Hall shared a similar view, telling the new and returning council members that he is “deeply concerned” about ICE activity in Upper Darby. Hall said his friend who hails from Ecuador was taken by ICE agents recently at a local restaurant, El Rinconcito Ecuatoriano, and is now back in his native country.
“I really hope that you all can do something legislatively that would impact how people are being treated and how people are being potentially taken from this community,” Hall told the council.
Rahman pointed out that immigrants are largely responsible for Upper Darby’s tagline, “the world in one place,” and many are refugees who came to this country seeking asylum after enduring violence and instability in their homelands.
“When ICE raids happen within a community like ours, the damage is not limited to those who are detained. It fractures trust, it isolates communities, it sends an implicit message that some lives are more worthy of protection than others,” Rachman said.
“At the local level, as new council members, you now hold moral leadership – not just ethical administrative prowess,” he continued. “I urge you to support policies that limit unnecessary cooperation with ICE, to invest in ‘know your rights’ education, and to work with local immigrant and Muslim organizations, rather than leaving them to navigate this moment alone.”
In nearby Haverford, the township’s commissioners reportedly voted on Jan. 12 to restrict the police department from entering into a 287(g) program, which would allow ICE officers to partner with municipal police to enforce federal immigration laws. Radnor Township passed a similar resolution last summer.
Upper Darby officials appear to have a similar mindset. On the landing page of the township’s immigrant resources website, Mayor Ed Brown touted the positive contribution of immigrants to the Upper Darby community and said he remains committed to ensuring that every member of our community feels welcomed and valued.”
On that same page, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt emphasized that his officers’ role “does not include proactively targeting individuals based solely on their immigration status or conducting raids against undocumented individuals.” He added: “While we maintain a commitment to cooperating with all law enforcement agencies, our priority remains ensuring public safety within the scope of our local jurisdiction.”
