Swampscott Police Respond To North Shore ICE Immigration Raids

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Police Lt. Joseph Kable told the Select Board that officers will not support federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the town or share residents' information with the agency amid recent ICE detentions in Marblehead and throughout the North Shore.

Kable said officers will also not interfere with ICE operations if they take place and advised residents to document any cases of concern, but not to intervene in them.

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"The Swampscott Police Department's sole focus is on the safety and well-being of our residents," Kable said. "We understand that goal requires trust and confidence in interacting and providing information with us. That trust and confidence is best achieved by ensuring all persons — especially witnesses and victims — are willing to cooperate and provide information to us regardless of any immigration status concerns.

"For this reason, we leave the enforcement of immigration law to those tasked with enforcing it at the federal level. The Swampscott police do not share any information at all regarding immigration status with any federal agency. No person making any report to the Swampscott Police need have any concern whatsoever that their interactions with us will result in having any information being shared."

Kable said the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in 2017 affirmed that local police have no role in civil immigration enforcement and that the federal government cannot compel local police to assist in any way. He said local police are also prohibited from interfering with any federal immigration enforcement activities.

"What our residents can expect is that we will not, in any way, be actively sharing any information that would result in any federal agents becoming aware of anyone's immigration status," he said. "We know these situations, if they do come to town, will be emotional and volatile. We will meet our basic obligation to ensure peace and safety. This includes the safety of the public and law enforcement officers on the federal level.

"Our residents can be assured that we will document any scene we respond to in order to ensure that the courts have all the information needed to ensure fairness, justice and accountability. However, everybody has to understand that we cannot tolerate chaos, or physical obstruction, or physical assaults. And we will not allow that to persist. But we will be understanding and patient to the greatest extent possible in any such emotional scene."

Kable said that while local authorities are rarely informed of ICE activity in their communities before it occurs, Chief Ruben Quesada has requested that notification in the future as a way to ensure safety and limit disruption for both residents and ICE officials.

"If anyone sees anything happening — especially with some of these raids we've been seeing with plain-clothed (ICE officials) or masked people," he said, "don't approach. Don't assume anything and just call us. We'll respond. We'll document the scene. We will be recording it.

"Certainly, feel free to record federal law enforcement as you would us. Document the scene and make sure that everybody's rights are respected. And everybody is treated appropriately.

"But no one should attempt to intervene."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)