(ICE Facebook Photo)
Last Friday, local social media pages showed photos of what appeared to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on Bridge Street in Lowell. The street-level photos showed a number of individuals against a wall with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
Yesterday, the ICE Facebook page itself confirmed the operation, providing a few details what transpired.
The immigration agency’s FB page reports what they refer to as “11 Ecuadorian illegal aliens” arrested during a multi-agency worksite enforcement operation on May 16. The operation focused on a Massachusetts based roofing business.
No other details were provided about the operation and whether it involved other crimes besides the alleged illegal entry into the country and illegal employment.
The ICE Facebook page warned that “employers who hire illegal workers put other employees and our communities at risk.” The narrative also went on to state “they undercut their competition by exploiting illegal alien labor, making it harder for legitimate American businesses to stay afloat,” though there was no information provided about what, if any charges the employer in this particular case may be facing.
The social media post concludes by giving a “shout out” to the Drug Enforcement Administration and ATF for their support during the operation and providing a phone number to report worksite noncompliance, along with a web address to get help with worksite compliance.
One response to “ICE Releases Details of Lowell Operation”
I want to be clear, I’m all about upholding the law. But we can’t pick and choose which laws we follow or how we enforce them. Reports that our city is deporting individuals without signed warrants from a judge raise serious concerns. Are these individuals being given due process? What steps are local law enforcement and city officials taking to ensure that rights are respected and legal protocols are followed?
I understand that our city must comply with federal law, but compliance does not mean bypassing the requirement for a judicial warrant , especially when it involves removing people from their homes or detaining them in ways that skirt legal protections.
What’s even more troubling is the silence from city leadership. At council meetings, there’s been a clear hesitation in addressing this issue, despite the fact that the majority of our city is made up of immigrants and their families. That silence sends a message.
As a daughter of immigrants, we need transparency. We deserve answers. And above all, we deserve to know that our city stands on the side of fairness.