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Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves reports nearly 50 people detained by ICE as students return to school

Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves reported that nearly 50 community members have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the past three days. The enforcement activity occurred as thousands of students returned to school, leading to concerns about how the increased activity affects student attendance and family anxiety. Mayor Alves noted that the detainments were not part of a targeted campaign for serious crimes but rather involved random people being picked up off the streets, including parents at school bus stops and near daycares. While some advocates expressed concern over the intentionality of the tactics, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the claim of ICE targeting parents at bus stops was false, noting a specific arrest of an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who occurred in a car rather than at a bus stop. To support the community, Danbury officials and local leaders gathered at Kennedy Park to advocate for immigrant families. School officials have established a new safety plan to ensure students can attend school safely regardless of immigration status.

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