BURLINGTON, Mass. — A large crowd gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Burlington on Tuesday morning to support a Salem resident from Honduras who fears she may be detained or ordered to self-deport.
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The woman named Blanca, who has lived in the U.S. for 11 years, says her asylum application and appeal have been denied. This marks her second appearance before ICE in two months.
Also expected at the protest are the parents of a 16-year-old Brazilian boy who ICE briefly detained in Milford on Friday before he was released. They are also expected to meet with immigration officials.
The boy’s attorney says the teen has no criminal history and was actively participating in the legal asylum process. Despite being told he was free to go, ICE later issued two notices for his parent to appear.
“It feels like ICE is essentially letting him go only to bring in the parents,” attorney Jill Seeber said.
When asked about the detainment of the boy, ICE Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said it was all a mix-up.
“ICE does NOT target juveniles or children. During a targeted enforcement operation, two illegal aliens fled from the vehicle on foot,” McLaughlin said in a statement shared with Boston 25 News. “The suspected target of the operation escaped, and ICE briefly detained a 16-year-old Brazilian illegal alien to determine his identity and if he was a potential safety threat, as is routine for all arrests.”
ICE also stated they were unaware of the teen’s age at the time of detainment. Once informed, they contacted his parents to pick him up. When the parents refused, ICE drove the teen home.
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