We had an ICE scare last night [View all]

Our friend Sam, who is from Liberia, was pulled over by local cops in a traffic stop. It's unclear to me why they pulled him over; he was coming home from work, not speeding (you can't speed on our road right now because it's closed except to local residents--that may be why he was pulled over; he's the only black person who lives in this neighborhood). Anyway, the cops pulled him over and found that his vehicle registration had expired.

He called us, and my husband went to meet him on the road. The sheriff of Bucks County has been criticized for cooperating with ICE agents, so we were terrified, as was of course Sam. Sam is here legally and in fact had just the day before received papers extending his work visa. We were all afraid he would be taken nonetheless.

It turned out the cop was cool and let Sam go with a warning. He came to our house and renewed his registration online.

It was a sickening experience.

Sam has lived and worked here many years. He pays taxes. He has never committed a crime (until last night, I guess). He is a kind and gentle man who takes his grandmother to church every Sunday morning.

We all had a beer and caught our breath.

Until it happens to you, the fear that someone you care about with be disappeared is like nothing you've ever experienced.