ICE conducts surge of enforcement operations in southeastern Massachusetts

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted a surge of enforcement operations across southeastern Massachusetts, detaining at least 31 people since Monday. The activity initially centered on New Bedford and Dartmouth before expanding to Fall River on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Local immigration attorneys and advocates report that the operations have caused significant community disruption, citing instances of parents being detained while children waited at school or workers being intercepted near fish processing plants. Attorneys have raised concerns regarding racial profiling, suggesting agents targeted individuals based on complexion or presence in work vans rather than specific names.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has sharply criticized the agency, describing its tactics as ‘cruel and callous’ and arguing that the methods make the state less safe. Healey has advocated for defunding ICE and signed the PROTECT Act to prevent warrantless civil arrests in sensitive locations like schools and hospitals.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE stated that Massachusetts officials are ‘putting politics above public safety.’ Officials maintained that every person arrested in these operations was in the country illegally, with many possessing serious criminal records.