‘I’ll put a hole in their chest the size of a window’: Heavily armed Philly Black Panthers vow to protect immigrants from ICE

The Second Amendment protects American citizens’ right to keep and bear arms. The vast majority of gun enthusiasts are white conservatives, but this right applies to ALL citizens. And, as such, the Black Panthers have for decades enjoyed their right to bear arms too.

That’s on full display in Philadelphia at the moment, where members of the Black Panther Party have been vocal that they are determined to violently resist any ICE incursion into their city, and that they will not let what happened in Minneapolis happen to them. As a member quoted in The Philadelphia Enquirer confirms: “If we were there, not a single person would have gotten touched.”

Local chapter Chairman Paul Birdsong has been explicit about warning ICE not to try their thuggish tactics on his turf, saying:

Chairman Paul Birdsong from a newly formed Black Panther Party in Philly:

“An unarmed woman was killed by ICE…so we’re here to protect the community. If ICE thinks they’re going to brutalize the people on our watch? Fuck around and find out.” pic.twitter.com/GYTpWIY1Zu

— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) January 15, 2026

“I’ll put a hole in their chest the size of a window. … That’s what’s gonna happen if they touch me. An unarmed woman was killed by ICE. If you think you can come and brutalize the people while we’re standing here? F**k around and find out!”

Reading you loud and clear Mr Birdsong! He continued:

“Our interactions with the police and ICE, we hold them accountable. We patrol the community and we hold them accountable. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, we’re the same Panther party from back in the day, but we’re a little more aggressive now. You dig? Carry bigger guns and we don’t take no s**t.

Places where there are a lot immigrants at, I think that the community around them needs to take special care to them and needs to start escorting them to and from everywhere to make sure that they’re safe. Cause them ICE agents ain’t gonna act like that if there’s a bunch of people standing outside with assault rifles and shotguns.”

“We’re a little more aggressive now”

Gesturing to his weapon, he explained:

“It’s a semi-automatic shotgun. That means them shotgun shells that shoot out of a pump? This shoots them rapidly. If you are going to legally arm yourself, arm yourself with something bigger than what they got! Those who serve the public, they should be fearful of the public!”

Isn’t it uplifting to see Americans enjoying their constitutional right to bear arms? It should be said that, historically, the Panthers’ weapons have been more for show and actually not used. But regardless, the image alone is powerful, and groups of heavily armed Black people marching through the streets sends a message.

Of all American cities, Philadelphia seems to be hardening itself the most against any ICE incursion. Their DA and cops are vowing that they’ll arrest, prosecute, and imprison ICE agents, and the Panthers are saying they won’t let them anywhere near the city’s immigrant communities. Who knows what’ll happen next, but perhaps ICE should think twice before entering the city.