Protesters Rally In Danbury After Reports Of ICE Detentions Near Courthouse

DANBURY, CT — More than 100 people gathered Tuesday in downtown Danbury to protest recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which local activists and officials said resulted in the detention of multiple residents near the state courthouse a day earlier.

The demonstration, held in a parking lot between White Street, Moss Avenue and Fifth Avenue, was organized by Greater Danbury Unites for Immigrants, a coalition of immigrant advocates.

Protesters held signs and chanted "No borders, no nations, stop deportations," denouncing what they described as unannounced and aggressive enforcement operations by federal agents.

Related: Teen Speaks Out Over Mother's ICE Detainment: 'You're Causing A Lot Of Pain'

A spokesperson for Mayor Roberto Alves told Patch that neither he nor the Danbury Police Department was notified of the arrival of ICE in Danbury, nor apprised of the agency's activities in the city:

"We do not know what their plans are. Mayor Alves will continue to ensure Danbury follows the State's Trust Act."

That Trust Act, passed in 2013, and revised in 2019, was borne of a 2006 round-up of undocumented Ecuadorian day laborers by ICE and Danbury police. The fallout from the lawsuit brought by the "Danbury 11" cost the city $400,000.

The legislation restricts how state and local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration officials, particularly ICE. The act aims to limit information sharing with ICE and prohibits law enforcement from detaining residents solely based on a federal immigration detainer.

Greater Danbury Unites for Immigrants said it began mobilizing Monday morning to alert residents of ICE’s presence and distribute "Know Your Rights" materials. The group posted video clips on social media showing interactions between residents and federal agents, including unmarked vehicles and individuals in plain clothes wearing vests labeled “U.S. Marshal,” “FBI,” and “police.”

Related: Officials ‘Working Hard’ To Get Detained Meriden Student Back To CT

The activists posted they have "eye witness accounts of at least between 10-15 community members abducted off our streets. Including two young women merely walking down White Street by the Uncle Sam Statue, and a young mom who was ripped from her car on 5th street by WCSU, leaving toys and groceries in the backseats."

The incident follows other ICE operations across Connecticut in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the agency detained a Meriden high school senior and his father just days before the student's graduation. Last week, four undocumented workers at a Southington car wash were also taken into custody.

State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan whose district includes Danbury called what happened in the city this week "disturbing."

"Unmarked vehicles. No notice to local officials. Children watching parents taken away. This isn’t just enforcement, it’s trauma. I stand with our immigrant neighbors and am flagging these actions with the mayor and federal officials. We deserve answers, and our community deserves better," he wrote in an email.

Julian Shafer, a Danbury High School teacher of undocumented children, said he has seen his students "suffer emotionally, financially and academically because family members of theirs have been deported. I personally have had students who had to drop out because they had to work to support their family when a parent of theirs was deported. When schools designation as safe spaces from ICE raids was removed, we saw an immediate dip in undocumented students’ attendance."

Shafer is part of a group calling to "end all state and local cooperation with mass deportation… and explore all legal pathways to withhold federal tax contributions that fund deportations, detentions, and civil rights violations." The organization has a petition with their demands.

Related: Southington Car Wash Workers Detained By ICE From Guatemala: Feds

ICE previously stated that workplace enforcement is part of ensuring business compliance with federal employment laws and maintaining a fair economic playing field.