In a surprising turn of events, two court clerks from Utah have been arrested after allegedly interfering with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. Lauren Morrow, 26, and Jennifer Joma, 27, are facing charges after purportedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in evading an ICE officer, according to details outlined in court documents.
The incident unfolded at the Logan City Municipal Justice Court. The ICE officer arrived at the courthouse in April to execute a warrant, but Morrow and Joma reportedly took matters into their own hands. Upon learning of the officer’s presence, they began sifting through court databases to identify the immigration status of individuals scheduled for hearings.
The two clerks allegedly facilitated the escape of a Guatemalan individual by guiding them out through a backroom. Court documents reveal that Morrow and Joma were quite pleased with their actions, as they returned to the courtroom, waving at a surveillance camera before Morrow made an obscene gesture.
In addition to aiding the escape, the clerks continued to scrutinize court records, ostensibly searching for other non-citizens who might be at risk of arrest by ICE. Their actions have since landed them in legal trouble, leading to an indictment on Wednesday.
Morrow and Joma waved at a surveillance camera before Morrow made a crude gesture.
Joma and Morrow then continued to search records – finding non-citizens on the court records who ICE might want to arrest.
They allegedly intercepted the ICE target, and two women, one of whom was from Mexico, and they were taken into a backroom and smuggled out of the courthouse.
Meanwhile, the judge went into his office and left his door open, which obstructed his vision. Another clerk, who hasn’t been named in the documents, shut his door.
Then, Joma allegedly put the three migrants in her car and drove away from the courthouse – before returning.
Morrow was questioned about the whereabouts of the migrants but was tight-lipped, the documents said.
Both women face charges of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens, and obstruction of Homeland Security proceedings – offenses which carry up to 25 years in prison.
Joma was also slapped with a charge of transporting illegal aliens – which carries a five year prison sentence.
John Huber, the ex-US Attorney for Utah, said the plot was the first he’s seen in the state.
“This is a time when people are on edge wherever you are on the political spectrum, and this issue of immigration enforcement gets people’s attention,” he told KUTV.
“I think a lesson to be learned here is that federal authorities are serious and that it’s no laughing matter to engage in conduct that rises to the level of a federal felony. This is not a joke.”
