Hundreds come out to protest ICE

UPDATE Nov. 16: This report initially stated that Fuerza charged Waltham Police of supporting and taking over ICE work. The statement applied only to courthouse security officers and has been corrected.

More than 400 people came out last Saturday to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the city and the detainment of multiple Waltham residents. The protest was organized by Fuerza, a local watchdog and advocacy group that strives to protect immigrants. 

The protest started in front of Waltham District Court and moved in a long procession to Waltham Common. The protest was peaceful, and many passersby honked their cars in support of the protesters. 

Jonathan Paz, founder of Fuerza and a former Waltham city councilor, claims hundreds of residents have been picked up by ICE since the start of the new Trump administration. These numbers haven’t been independently confirmed. Paz said Fuerza’s goal is to see ICE defunded and have local authorities take stronger actions in support of immigrants.  

Paz said he sees the Middlesex Sheriff and District Attorney’s offices as “turning a blind eye,” with Waltham District Courthouse security officers also “supporting and taking over ICE work.”

The Waltham Police Department declined to comment, and ICE’s Boston Field Office in Burlington didn’t respond to a request to comment.

Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and multiple city councilors were also asked for comment, but didn’t respond.

A member of the Waltham Educators Association, the city’s public school teachers’ union, said the City Council and the mayor’s office should take a firmer stance. The same applies to the School Committee, he said, adding that he hopes for changes following the recent local elections. 

Waltham Public Schools Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa issued a letter this past May urging ICE to refrain from carrying out detentions at times when children might witness the activity. The union member said many of his students are scared, and while he appreciated the superintendent’s effort, he wants to see more concrete action, such as educating teachers on how to emotionally support their students. 

Paz said a sense of fear is present among many residents in the community, adding that this fear could explain the small number of immigrants present at the protest.

Paz said the district court where the protest started has become a trap used by ICE. Outside the court were many signs that read “ICE took our neighbor from this spot.” In August multiple arrests took place where Fuerza volunteers witnessed ICE officers detaining people coming out of the courthouse, as previously reported by the Waltham Times. 

In response to such actions, Fuerza has been actively patrolling Waltham and following ICE agents, warning others of their presence, Paz said.