ICE to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and 4 other cities, sources say

WASHINGTON - ICE is preparing to deploy Special Response Teams (SRTs) to five cities run by Democratic leaders ahead of anticipated protest activity this weekend, FOX has confirmed. 

What we know:

SRTs are elite SWAT tactical teams responsible for going after the most high-risk targets.  They were most recently deployed in Los Angeles as part of the federal government's efforts to quell protest activity. 

Reports say the teams will deploy in Northern Virginia, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle. 

Hundreds of "No Kings Day" protests are planned across the U.S. on Saturday, June 14, to protest the Trump administration's policies. 

"From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like," organizers said on the official No Kings website. 

The largest of these protests is planned for Philadelphia, one of the cities reportedly being targeted by the ICE SRTs. 

"These riots are not going to deter us," one source involved in planning told FOX reporter Brooke Taylor. "We are here doubling down and enforcement operations are going to happen. If anything, we will be arresting more illegal aliens in these locations."

The backstory:

Protests planned for Saturday, June 14 coincide with a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. to mark the Army's 250th anniversary. It is also President Donald Trump's birthday. 

"It’s going to be an amazing day," Trump said to reporters Tuesday. "We’ll have tanks, we’ll have planes, we’ll have all sorts of things. I think it’s going to be great."

Trump warned that any demonstrations during the parade would be met with force.

"If there’s any protesters that want to come out," he said, "they’re going to be met with very big force."

Local perspective:

An ICE official tells FOX 5 that agents arrested nearly a dozen people Wednesday outside the immigration court in Sterling.

ICE said these individuals had overstayed visas or been ordered deported, and were taken into custody before they could "disappear" back into the community, as ICE put it.

ICE says it’s routine for agents to monitor immigration courts, and not just arrest those with violent criminal records, but also people who are simply in the U.S. without authorization.

But immigrant advocates are sounding the alarm — saying arresting people at court is a dangerous precedent.

"The people being arrested at court are actually following the law. They may have overstayed a visa or applied for asylum — but they’re showing up to court as required. So when ICE arrests them at court, they’re really sending a message: either they don’t want people to follow the law… or they don’t care about the judicial process at all," said CASA Virginia Director Luis Aguilar.