Meriden Student Taken Into Custody By ICE: Superintendent

MERIDEN, CT — A Meriden high school senior was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Hartford earlier this week, according to city officials.

Mayor Kevin Scarpati said on Friday night that he, along with City Council Majority Leader Sonya R. Jelks, have been in contact with members of the federal delegation.

Scarpati also shared the following statement from Superintendent of Schools Mark D. Benigni.

“It was reported to us that one of our 12th-grade students was detained at an immigration hearing in Hartford,” Benigni wrote. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not contacted the district or any Meriden public school. While I cannot share details about specific students, I can assure you that students who meet all of the Meriden Public Schools graduation requirements will be issued a diploma from the Meriden Board of Education. We respect the family’s privacy as they deal with this challenging situation.”

The New Haven Register reports Maloney High School Principal Jennifer Straub notified families in a message that a senior from the school and his father were taken into custody by ICE while at a regularly scheduled check-in at the ICE office in Hartford.

The student and his father are being detained in a facility in Texas, according to the Register.