Massachusetts community groups report uptick in ICE activity
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A statewide immigration hotline rang hundreds of times in the past week as federal agents detained Massachusetts residents.
Why it matters: The calls indicated an uptick in immigration enforcement, with arrests in Worcester sparking outrage among neighbors and some politicians.
By the numbers: The LUCE Network, a coalition of community groups and activist organizations, told Axios its hotline received more than 500 calls last week about immigration enforcement in Waltham, East Boston and other cities.
- That includes more than 200 calls this weekend.
- LUCE's average call volume is an average of 78 over a three-day period or 100-200 a week, LUCE told GBH News, which first reported the uptick.
Context: Immigration and Customs Enforcement has targeted Massachusetts cities in its sweeps since President Trump re-entered office, particularly Greater Boston.
- Federal agents detained 370 immigrants from Massachusetts in March, hailing it as a crackdown on criminals. But more than half of the detainees didn't have a criminal record.
Several members of one family were detained in Worcester last week, prompting a crowd to surround federal agents and ask them, "Where is your warrant?"
- Worcester police responded to calls of a crowd surrounding agents.
- A 16-year-old girl holding a baby screamed as her family member was detained and stood in front of the vehicle, per CBS Boston. Worcester police later arrested her on four charges, including endangerment of a child.
- They also arrested Ashley Spring, a candidate for Worcester School Committee, who joined the crowd.
What they're saying: Some community leaders denounced the Worcester police response to the crowd that witnessed the ICE arrest.
- "Our local police is not tasked to protect ICE. They're here to protect the people and they should behave that way," said Fred Taylor Sr., NAACP Worcester president, per GBH News.
The other side: State Rep. Peter Durant hailed ICE and Worcester police.
- "I understand that my role as a legislator is to represent all of my constituents at the state level, and I want those who feel silenced by the boisterous, ostentatious crowd to know: I hear you and I will work to keep you safe," he said.