‘ICE was waiting for him’ | Morning Newsletter

It’s set to be another gusty day, Philly.

Immigrants who have ongoing legal cases have been unexpectedly taken by federal agents amid the Trump administration’s push to boost arrests and deportations. In Philadelphia, the arrest of an Indonesian man at a routine visa appointment has sparked outrage among advocates.

And a nonprofit offered free MRIs in Hunting Park to screen for brain cancer. Doctors worry they’re not worth the consequences.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Rian Andrianzah showed up for what he thought was a routine biometrics appointment in Philadelphia last month.

Instead, while his wife waited for him in another room, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested the Indonesian man and sent him to a Central Pennsylvania detention center. He now faces deportation.

It’s part of a strategy shift by President Donald Trump’s administration to arrest green-card applicants, asylum seekers, and others who are going through legal processes to stay in the country, lawyers and advocates say.

Meanwhile, members of the city’s Indonesian American community have responded quickly to Andrianzah’s arrest, raising thousands of dollars to support his family.

Immigration reporter Jeff Gammage explains the case.

The Brain Tumor Foundation has been holding free screening events for more than a decade in hopes of promoting early detection of brain tumors.

They’re popular, too: All spots for the foundation’s recent multiday screening event at Triumph Baptist Church in Hunting Park were claimed.

In the best scenarios, preventive medical screening can help catch diseases early when they are most treatable, and give people peace of mind.

But they can also lead to overdiagnosis, false positives, unnecessary stress, and costly follow-up procedures, doctors say.

Health reporter Kayla Yup has the story, including the criteria experts say screening tests must meet to be adopted as standard practice.

The Ministry of Awe, a new permanent cultural attraction, is set to open in the historic Manufacturers National Bank in Old City this March. Meg Saligman founded the project in 2022 as a nonprofit dedicated to reviving the vacant bank and creating an arts venue with work that riffs on the bank theme.

Amy Gutmann is coteaching an undergraduate class this semester in the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. Which is not one of her past roles?

A) Politics professor at Princeton University

B) Temple University visiting scholar

C) U.S. ambassador to Germany

D) Penn president

Think you know? Check your answer.

⭐ Voting on: Which Philly restaurants deserve Michelin stars.

🐈 Meeting: Gary, the cat that ended a friendship and cost $25,000 in legal fees.

🎓 Congratulating: Two local students honored as 2026 Rhodes scholars.

🎨 Checking out: The Brandywine Museum of Art’s new Malcolm Jenkins-approved exhibition.

🧠 Considering: What Philadelphia’s next 250 years will look like.

Hint: About 90 minutes from Philly

ANCESTRAL

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Peter Stevens, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Barnes Foundation. A South Philly teen broke into the institution 73 years ago. It led to a lifelong artistic career.

Puppies that are being raised to serve people who are blind took in the many sights, sounds, and most importantly, the many smells of Philadelphia International Airport Saturday morning.

In other canine-related news: Sixers star Tyrese Maxey’s turn as a pup wrangler will be shown at the National Dog Show this Thanksgiving.

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Miles Davis, who describes witnessing the emergence of a cultural movement firsthand:

The night that changed my life and let me know I was from the best city in the United States of America was when I was with my best friend, Eric, heading downtown. It was 1980 at Wagner’s Ballroom. We were going to see for the first time a battle of hip-hop, which was turning up the streets with rap and turntables spinning the newest jams.

The show was so lit and not a person was seen sitting. Heck, in the time hip-hop came out, no one was ever sitting at a hip-hop event. We called people who sit at rap concerts a Wall Flower who holds up the wall.

Hip-hop came on the scene with its own sound and meaning. I was so glad to have been a part of that culture knowing what it meant and where it was going.

Follow your own groove today. Have a good one.

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