ICE And MPD Crack Down On D.C. Delivery Drivers, Detaining Immigrants In Street Sweeps

Federal and local law enforcement in Washington, D.C., have increasingly targeted app-based delivery drivers, with ICE partnering with Metropolitan Police Department units to stop, detain and check drivers' immigration status. Videos and resident accounts describe aggressive encirclements and takedowns that have chilled the visible presence of couriers on city streets. Advocates say many of those stopped are recently arrived immigrants — particularly Venezuelans — who face fast-tracked deportation and heightened vulnerability. Delivery-app companies such as Uber, Grubhub and DoorDash have largely remained silent, prompting criticism that corporations are not protecting or speaking up for their precarious workforce.