BOSTON (AP) — Immigrants are being detained while going to work, outside courthouses, and at store parking lots in Metro Boston as President Donald Trump targets so-called sanctuary cities in his effort to ramp up immigration enforcement.
As families hole up in homes — afraid to leave and risk detainment — advocates are reporting an increased presence of unmarked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles sitting in parking lots and other public areas throughout immigrant communities, where agents appeared to target work vans. One man captured a video of three landscapers who were working on the Saugus Town Hall property being arrested after agents smashed their truck window.
Just north of Boston, the city of Everett canceled its annual Hispanic Heritage Month festival after its mayor said it wouldn’t be right to “hold a celebration at a time when community members may not feel safe attending.”
The actions have been praised by public officials like New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who signed legislation this year banning sanctuary city policies in her state, vowing not to let New Hampshire “go the way of Massachusetts.” ICE this summer began utilizing a New Hampshire airport about an hour from Boston to transport New England detainees.
However, others argue that ICE’s presence in Massachusetts is doing more harm than good. Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, reported that this is really increasing the fear in communities, which is already incredibly high.
Trump aims at so-called ‘sanctuaries’
Cities like Boston and Chicago, where Mayor Brandon Johnson has also condemned the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown, have become targets for enforcement in recent days. Trump also threatened to potentially deploy the National Guard to Chicago.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Michelle Wu and the city of Boston over its sanctuary city policies, claiming they’re interfering with immigration enforcement. In response, Wu accused Trump of “attacking cities to hide his administration’s failures.”
ICE has launched an operation it called “Patriot 2.0” on the heels of a May crackdown where nearly 1,500 immigrants were detained in Massachusetts. The agency did not respond to requests about the number of immigrants detained since “Patriot 2.0” began.
ICE Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the Boston surge would focus on “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” living in Massachusetts, insisting that sanctuary policies attract criminals and protect them at the expense of law-abiding citizens.
Detainees housed in facilities across New England
ICE has contracts to detain people at multiple correctional facilities across New England. Volunteers have documented the transfer of more than 300 individuals since early August, with signs of increased activity causing concern among advocates.
Families in hiding as more ICE sightings reported
Luce, the Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts, staffed its hotline to assist families seeking information about ICE sightings. Kevin Lam from the Asian American Resource Workshop reported a spike in ICE activity, which has left many immigrants fearful of everyday tasks like going to school or work.
Asylum-seekers and other legal immigrants targeted
Republican Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley expressed support for ICE’s operation, stating her office will prosecute immigrants without legal status who commit crimes. However, advocates pushed back, insisting that ICE often targets non-criminal individuals as well, further tearing families apart as they navigate the legal system.
