Watch: Philadelphia Sheriff Calls ICE 'Fake, Wannabe' Cops Violating the Legal and 'Moral Law'

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal — employing hipster slang and evoking a call-and-response chant — on Friday called federal immigration agents “fake, wannabe” law enforcement and claimed their actions violate both “legal law” and “moral law.”

The sheriff, elected and sworn into office in 2020, echoed a threat from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner who warned that federal law enforcement officials who commit crimes in Philadelphia will be arrested and prosecuted.

“So, I’m with the DA,” Bilal said. “You don’t want this smoke. Cuz we will bring it to you,” adding in a dig at President Donald Trump that “the criminal in the White House would not be able to keep” federal agents from going to jail.

“Wanting smoke” is a phrase for someone looking for trouble or a fight.

Earlier, Bilal began her comments by saying the name of Renee Good, the 37-year-old woman shot and killed in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer who Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said fired his sidearm in self defense when she accelerated towards him in her SUV.

“Good afternoon,” the sheriff began. “I’m Rochelle Bilal, sheriff of the city and county of Philadelphia and I say her name – Renee Good.”

Several in the audience echoed back, “Renee Good.”

“Renee Good,” Bilal said again.

The second time the audience response was robust: “Renee Good!”

She repeated Good’s name three times as unseen audience members cooperated in a call-and-response typical of gospel church service.

It’s not clear whether reporters there were among those responding.

In a diatribe highly unusual for law enforcement officials who rarely criticize other officers in the field, the former 27-year-veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department claimed sworn officers for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were not legitimate cops.

She began, “Let’s note that law enforcement professionals, real ones, not the fake, made up ICE — probably Trump’s new army to attack citizens of the United States — did you hear what I said? No law enforcement officials wears a mask. None. None.”

Later, she claimed, “law enforcement professionals” do not “shoot at moving vehicles” or “stand in front of moving vehicles evoking an action that is illegal.”

“I call them made up fake wannabe law enforcement,” she continued. “Because what they do is not only against the legal law but the moral law.”

It’s not clear whether the sheriff was talking about the Minneapolis shooting or ICE enforcement in general, which gets its arrest powers and federal jurisdiction from immigration legislation passed by Congress and administered by the executive branch.

Her comments quickly drew reactions on social media.

”This is not parody,” wrote one identified as C3 on X. “This is the actual Philadelphia County Sheriff. Is it possible to coexist with someone like this?”

“You can’t make this stuff up,” another observer posted.

“This what DEI looks like,” wrote Florida social media commentator Eric Daugherty.

Bilal, a former secretary of the Philadelphia NAACP, is no stranger to controversy.

In 2021 she faced lawsuits from three senior staffers who claimed that they lost their jobs after they alleged financial impropriety as well as sexual harassment, according to the Hindustan Times.

She’s also been the subject of allegations of wasting department money on promotional items like trading cards with her likeness, and printing bogus news stories about her generated by AI, Fox News reported.

Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.