How ICE arrests have impacted Westford

WESTFORD — Protests against the federal government’s immigration enforcement tactics and the increased presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in cities like Minneapolis may seem distant, but their impact has been felt among the Westford community.

Westford native Sarah Cunniffe, a freshman at the University of Minnesota Honors College, described what it is like living in Minneapolis during these protests.

“Before we left for winter break, I remember there was all this talk about ICE coming (to Minneapolis),” Cunniffe said. “People would talk about how they ‘might’ve’ spotted ICE. But then when I got back after Renée (Good) was shot, I just remember it was such a different shift.”

Cunniffe described seeing ICE agents all over the city, which she said has instilled fear in many of her friends who are immigrants or have immigrant backgrounds.

“I think for a lot of people not living here (in Minneapolis) it can feel more dystopian,” Cunniffe said. “But when you’re here and you’re experiencing this and you’re seeing all these people, when you’re making eye contact with ICE agents, it feels different because it is your reality. It’s so easy for people who are not surrounded by these issues to just kind of put their phone down, turn off the news and just move on with their day. But for people here, obviously being constantly surrounded by it, it’s a completely different story. The other thing is, for me, my parents are not immigrants, I’m not a person of color. So the fear that I’m experiencing is completely different than some of my friends.”

Despite the tense atmosphere, Cunniffe said she feels a great sense of community and support at both her college and across the city. She said she has attended several of the protests, which she described as peaceful and unifying, often involving hundreds of people marching together regardless of the high tensions and cold weather.

“It was a Friday in January and I remember it was like -21°F, and all these people were marching downtown,” Cunniffe said. “The light rail was down, so the students just walked in groups downtown to get to where the protest was. I’ve never experienced that before.”

Cunniffe said she feels that protestors are often misrepresented in the media, adding that much of what is really happening in Minneapolis is not reported on and the extent of the protests and the support from the community can only really be experienced in-person.

“The perspective I’m getting, the perspective that everyone here (in Minneapolis) is getting is completely different than what the news is showing,” Cunniffe said. “I think that the news doesn’t always show everything. The news doesn’t always show all the good parts, the people coming together, and all these peaceful protests. Just these little acts of community that happen where people are coming together and supporting each other.”

Large protests criticizing President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have been taking place each week in Minneapolis, ever since an increase of ICE operations in the city began earlier this year.

Last month, tensions between protesters and ICE agents boiled over, leading to several violent incidents, which resulted in the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by an ICE agent and border protection agent.

These deaths have led to even larger protests in Minneapolis and across the country, including in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile in Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, who represents Westford, spoke out against federal immigration enforcement tactics following the killings of Pretti and Good, calling for the removal of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

“Kristi Noem should be removed from office,” Trahan’s statement said. “Her incompetence makes our communities less safe.”

On Feb. 3, Trahan announced that she had voted against a bill which would fund DHS.

“Federal immigration agents shot and killed two Americans last month,” Trahan’s statement said. “The time to rein in Kristi Noem’s reckless ICE operations is now. I voted NO on the DHS funding bill.”

Trahan’s statements come as other local and federal politicians criticize federal immigration enforcement tactics.

Last month, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey filed legislation to keep ICE agents out of schools, hospitals, courthouses and places of worship.

“In Massachusetts and across the country, we continue to see unlawful and unconstitutional actions by ICE that are meant to intimidate and instill fear in our communities, including against U.S. citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights,” Healey said. “This puts people at risk and in harm’s way, and I find it necessary in the interest of public safety to take this action today.”

Following Good’s death, widespread protests against federal immigration enforcement and President Donald Trump’s administration broke out across the U.S., which included a protest outside Westford Town Hall on Jan. 10.

These displays of anger and frustration are part of a broader conversation taking place in communities across Massachusetts regarding immigration enforcement, civil liberties, and public safety.

In Burlington, hundreds of people, including members of the Westford community, gather every Wednesday outside the ICE Field Office in Burlington, to protest against the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations.

These demonstrations were started by a group called Bearing Witness, who said its goal is to show solidarity and support to immigrants, while criticizing “cruel and unconstitutional actions of the federal government.”

At the protests, participants chanted and held homemade signs criticizing Trump and accusing ICE agents of using excessive force during arrests, holding prisoners in inhumane conditions, and not respecting civil rights and due process.

Organizers said the protests began when they learned ICE detainees were being held in the office in Burlington, adding that they have often handed out food and water to immigrants they have seen enter and leave the office.

Jared Berezin, one of the organizers, said he plans for the protests to continue every week, hoping that they will catch the attention of local lawmakers and urge them to advocate for a change to the federal government’s immigration policy.

“I would love to see (elected officials) in their communities more,” Berezin said. “The Democrats are in the minority right now in Washington, they can’t pass legislation. So if they’re not able to legislate, they need to join the resistance. Come to Westford, come to Burlington, go to your community (in) whatever city or state you represent, and stand with folks. Actually pitch in and start helping.”

Westford groups including the League of Women Voters, First Parish Church United and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, were among the participants who have attended these protests.

Members of the League of Women Voters told WestfordCAT they felt it was important for their organization to take a public stance.

“We want to call attention to a lot of things that are going on within the federal government and Massachusetts, regarding the detention (of immigrants), how detainees are being treated, and what the process is,” League member Diane Wood said. “But often we’re not getting answers.”

League members also told WestfordCAT they felt it was important to take a stand given the large number of immigrants in Westford and that some immigrants in town have expressed worry and fear due to the ICE arrests in other communities across the state.

“Westford does have a large immigrant population and I’m sure they have been impacted by that,” League spokesperson Vicky Geary said. “Even if they haven’t been targeted, it’s the emotional aspect of this. It’s the fear. In fact, I actually know an immigrant who’d love to go see some friends in Europe, but is scared to death to leave the country, because she’s scared she might not be let back in. Even though she has a legal residence card. So even if we haven’t had that impact like some of the other communities with massive arrests, we have that population in our town and we are a community and we do stand up for each other, as we should.”

Several counter-protestors expressing support for ICE and Trump have also attended the protests in Burlington, including Michael Byrne, a conservative activist who WestfordCAT spoke to in September at a vigil for Charlie Kirk in Westford.  Kirk, who was fatally shot at an outdoor event at a Utah college last September, was co-founder of Turning Point USA, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2012. The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.

“They’re getting rid of the illegal criminals, gang members, and they’re getting rid of all the bad people,” Byrne said. “There’s been a lot of misinterpretation that they’re just grabbing everybody, which is not true. They’re grabbing the worst of the worst illegal immigrants.”

WestfordCAT also spoke to Anthony DiLeo and Dennis Galvin, who are the Chair and Secretary of the Westford Republican Town Committee.

DiLeo said that while he supports the right of the protestors to oppose ICE, and that there is always room for criticism of the tactics ICE uses, at the end of the day, he supports ICE and the federal government’s job to protect the U.S. border and deport illegal immigrants.

“I think what (ICE) has been doing is in their charter, I think they are trying to follow the law as best they can, and they are focusing on the real criminals — murderers, rapists, child molesters — the real severe criminals as best they can,” DiLeo said. “I think that needs to be emphasized. They are trying to do their job as best they can, within the law.”

Galvin said he believes protestors opposing ICE often do not understand the full picture and why ICE is necessary, adding that he believes there are many paid actors involved in the protests. He also said strong borders are needed in order to preserve the freedom that so many Americans take for granted.

“All these people associated with a so-called ‘global view,’ want to suppress sovereignty,” Galvin said. “For what purpose? If you remove sovereignty you allow those people to control your lives. It’s your sovereignty that can protect you from that sort of exploitation or overpower that somebody would like to get a hold of. They’d love to get control of this country, and you can’t let them do that.”