Unidentified agents conduct arrest near Waltham District Courthouse

UPDATE (Aug. 29, 8:30 a.m.): We replaced an image from the Aug. 7 incident with one from the Aug. 28 incident, which was made available to The Waltham Times after the article was posted.

UPDATE (Aug. 29, 11:22 a.m.): We’ve updated the story to reflect that we were able to identify the detained individual was in ICE custody, and to confirm that the same vehicle was present at both the Aug. 7 and Aug. 28 incidents. We’ve also removed a line from a person who clarified they were not able to speak on the record.

UPDATE (Aug. 29, 1:53 p.m.): The video embedded at the end of the story has been edited to remove an individual who is concerned for their safety.

In the early afternoon of Thursday Aug. 28, members of Waltham’s volunteer immigrant defense group Fuerza reported an arrest they believed to be by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in front of the Waltham Community Access Corporation at 400 Main St., down the street from the Waltham District Courthouse.

Last week, Fuerza also provided the Waltham Times with a video (see below) appearing to depict another arrest directly in front of the Waltham courthouse on Aug. 7. The Waltham Times has not yet been able to identify any of the individuals in the video.

Regarding the Aug. 28 incident, The Waltham Times obtained two videos from Fuerza and talked to the volunteer who witnessed the apparent detention.

The volunteer, who asked that their name not be published because of security concerns, said they had witnessed previous arrests by ICE near the courthouse, and in the course of their volunteer work that day, saw someone leaving the courthouse. They offered to accompany the person to their next destination.

Soon after, the Fuerza volunteer said, they were approached by multiple cars which another volunteer reported had been waiting in the PetCo parking lot across from the courthouse for at least two hours. The person they were accompanying started running. The first video, which starts at 12:18 p.m., picks up from there, facing toward the WCAC parking lot as the volunteer approaches.

The second shows three men with their faces covered by scarves putting someone into a car. Two of the men have vests marked “police,” and one of those also lists the words “federal agent”; the third wears a hoodie and jeans. The men ignore demands from the Fuerza volunteer to identify themselves and drive off.

The license plate number of the cars depicted in the August 28 video also matches a license plate shown in the August 7 video of an apparent ICE arrest.

Neither ICE’s federal or Massachusetts offices have responded to The Waltham Times’ requests for comment.

Detective Sergeant James Florio of the Waltham Police Department said the WPD “[had] no knowledge or involvement in the incident.” He added that the WPD does not enforce ICE detainers.

Fuerza identified a name for the person in the video, and said volunteers had been in touch with their family

The Waltham Times was able to confirm a person with that name has been detained by ICE and is currently being held in the Plymouth County Correctional Facility.

The name also matches court records of an individual present for a probation hearing at the courthouse on Thursday. The person was appearing at the court for a probation violation after an arrest last month by WPS. 

The probation hearing was in relation to a closed criminal case from July 2023, where they were convicted of unlicensed and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and found responsible for driving with an open alcohol container. The case also lists a charge that was sealed by a judge for lack of probable cause after they were found not guilty.