In Chelsea, at least five minors who were recently arrested by the Chelsea Police Department were detained by federal immigration authorities after their release from police custody. The similarities of these incidents have many in the community feeling extreme distress.
In Massachusetts, it’s standard practice for police to collect fingerprints of the people they arrest, and share those fingerprints to a database with the FBI.
“Chelsea Police was basically following protocol and doing exactly what Chelsea Police has been doing for a long time,” said City Manager Fidel Maltez. “What was really different is that in those instances in May, we received a call from immigration, from ICE, who showed up to our police station.”
Tom Nolan, a former Boston Police Department lieutenant and current criminal justice professor at several universities, said all types of federal agents are now assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in detention operations.
“If they [the FBI] hadn’t been sharing the information during previous administration or in previous years, it appears as though they’re doing so now,” Nolan said.
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Publisher’s Note: GBH and Massachusetts Latino News (MALN) are partners in providing greater visibility and voice to local Hispanic-Latinos communities.