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NEW BEDFORD — Petronila Morales quietly sipped a coffee in a corner booth of Restaurante y Tortilleria Guatemalteco early Wednesday morning.
“Look at this here,” she said in Spanish, motioning toward the dozens of empty tables at her restaurant. “It’s a desert.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she continued. “This restaurant always has at least two or three people here at tables eating.”
The quiet at the tortilleria came on the heels of two chaotic days as agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surged into the South Coast. As of Tuesday night, The Light had reported 19 confirmed detentions over the course of two days. On Wednesday afternoon, the Office for Refugees and Immigrants said that lawyers were working with 40 South Coast detainees to file habeas corpus petitions in federal courts.
Among those were two Guatemalan men who had just left the tortilleria when a Light reporter captured their detention by agents as they left the shop Tuesday afternoon.
“Everyone is so scared,” Morales said. “No one is coming out.”
The silence permeated the length of Acushnet Avenue and prompted a visit by New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell to its intersection with Sawyer Street, where on Tuesday ICE agents were filmed tasing a man as he tried to escape.
“I know [Acushnet Avenue] has obviously been in the middle of a lot of the activity over the last couple of days,” he said in an interview with The Light. “But I wanted to make sure that people are aware that we are keeping an eye on things.
“The unfortunate part is, as frustrating as it has been, there’s not a lot that the local government or state government, frankly, can be doing,” he added. “But we want people to know that if they need to understand their legal rights, that we’re going to help them understand them.”
Advocates had come down hard on city officials in recent days as allegations of ICE vehicles being parked at police property propagated online. Authorities had repeatedly denied cooperation with ICE, and Mitchell reiterated that.
“There’s information out there that suggests the city is sort of abetting it,” he said. “That’s absolutely false. We don’t facilitate immigration enforcement like that. … I’ve been saying that for several years now, but it needs to be said over and over now.”
The mayor added that the city does not have “a large pot of money” with which it can help local businesses, but he said he has been in conversation with area advocates and business owners to see what possibilities for support there may be.
“There isn’t a lot the city can do in the way of backstopping,” he said, referring to financial support for affected businesses.
Reports on social media from LUCE showed that ICE focused its efforts in Fall River Wednesday.
Why New Bedford?
Advocates as well as ICE supporters spoke with The Light about what they think drew ICE’s attention to New Bedford. Helena DaSilva Hughes, president of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center, pointed out that the demographics of the city make it a known target.
“I do feel that it’s because New Bedford has such a diverse population,” she said, “and a lot of this population works in the fish houses.”
But, she said, she feared the PROTECT Act may have brought federal ire to the Bay State and that New Bedford may just be the first target.
“It’s very symbolic and I think that’s what attracted ICE to the area,” she said “I agreed with [the PROTECT Act], but I think that played a role.”
The PROTECT Act, signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey in August, prohibits civil immigration arrests at schools, courthouses, medical clinics, and includes other provisions aimed at enhancing immigrant protections when it comes to ICE.
Former Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson, an immigration hawk known to have connections within the Trump administration, said “sanctuary policies” were at the root.
“It’s no surprise because Massachusetts is a sanctuary state,” Hodgson said. “Anywhere where there are attempts to shield people, particularly these criminal illegal aliens, by giving them sanctuary is always going to be what attracts [the attention of] ICE.
“The bigger problem with all this and the reason you’re seeing it in the community is because in Massachusetts, we said we’re not gonna allow local law enforcement to work with ICE.”
Hodgson told The Light he had been in communication with Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, but that he had not spoken with any administration officials about immigrants in the New Bedford area.
DaSilva Hughes also hypothesized that in an election year, Trump may be trying to drum up support among his conservative base by carrying out immigration sweeps targeting blue states. A similar event happened in Danbury, Connecticut, in August when ICE took more than 70 area immigrants into custody over the course of a week.
“This administration needs to show the number of people being picked up,” she said. “Because President Trump needs to get his [poll] numbers up.”
Corinn Williams, director of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, said there appeared to be no real evidence that the raids targeted those with removal orders or criminal charges. A review of court records by The Light of the six men it has so far identified found either no prior charges or only minor vehicle infractions on all except one.
“I think a lot of it has to do with profiling,” she said. “There hasn’t been much of a pattern around someone with outstanding warrants or outstanding issues.
“That’s what’s really disturbing,” she continued. “It’s happening all over the country, obviously, but it’s happening here.”
Local response
Cristina Aguilera Sandoval, executive director of the state’s Office for Refugees and Immigrants, visited New Bedford Wednesday to talk about the resources available for families and detainees at the Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores. She noted that New Bedford is particularly aware of the damage such operations cause.
“I think that any type of ICE enforcement operation in New Bedford is going to be very triggering because of what this community lived through during the [Michael N.] Bianco raid many years back,” she said. “In this area, the communities are really afraid, as in many others, but have that previous experience and [are] very vulnerable to the situation.
“I think it’s part of our values as a commonwealth and our leadership in the governor and beyond to make sure that our Massachusetts residents feel safe,” she added. “And can completely contribute to their communities and be part of it.”
Aguilera pointed to collaboration between her office, the city, and area advocates to connect detainees with lawyers through the Habeas Project to file habeas corpus petitions to ensure detainees remain nearby. Volunteer attorneys with the project filed 24 habeas corpus petitions as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Heather Arroyo, senior immigration attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
Fundraisers sprang up Tuesday as the day wore down. One sponsored by the CCT raised $1,415 of a $3,500 goal by Wednesday afternoon. Another, organized by LUCE and Humanity at Work, raised $37,386 toward a goal of $60,000.
Contact Kevin G. Andrade at kandrade@newbedfordlight.org
I just don’t understand how New Bedford politicians are not pushing back on all of this madness. These poor people are terrified and leaving children without parents is so cruel! These Bully thugs cannot be permitted to terrorize our communities!
Maybe as many citizens of New Bedford could go to Tortlleria Guatemalteco to eat to show support for them. I have eaten there when The NB Light took us on a tour. The food is very good.
That sounds like a great idea, especially since you speak highly of their food.
ABSOLUTELY AGREE
Interesting that this is happening right before the election.
Imagine if you were here legally and not a criminal. You would not have to hide and could enjoy all that this great country including New Bedford has to offer.
I thought America was a toilet?
These people are not criminls. Many are hard working people who escaped from their countries due to oppressiona and violence. They just want to live in peace and this country, up until now, has given them that peace. If you listen to their stories you can understand why they took the the chances they took to come here.
Imagine if your skin was brown and ICE decided to pull you over. What recourse would you have ? This is a country where you don’t have to show your papers to walk the streets. You are assuming the persons confronted are criminals, the vast majority of this folks are innocent of any crime. They make a good scapegoat and distraction for a lawless administration that is waging war in Iran and Venezuela while threatening Greenland.
That is exactly it and sums it up correctly, Lee.
Lee,
Thank you for your eloquence. I am stunned that anyone in our community can believe that (forgetting that their ancestors were once immigrants, too?) protecting human rights is debatable. Clearly, language ability and brown skin are two major markers for ICE. These are our neighbors, colleagues, students, and friends. I hate that we need to defend their very existence and humanity. It’s an ugly repetition of history.
Immigrants that entered legally at Ellis Island! They were migrants that entered LEGALLY!
I waited and came in leagally
Waited for what, Maria? Legally how?
Maria, well done! Welcome to the U.S.A, proof it can be done!
Most of the victims of ICE are NOT criminals and many ARE here legally. ICE does not care. They are being tasked with producing numbers. People like former sheriff Hodgson would have us believe it’s all about Massachusetts being a sanctuary state. I believe it’s about money and power, plain and simple. We need to expose who benefits from this terrorism. I, as a white person, sure don’t. Patronize immigrant businesses.
Agreed, Geoff. Plain and simple. I do patronize those businesses.
Not everyone has to agree, the fact remains many illegals are dangerous, and have committed serious crimes, and do not belong in this country. There is no one to blame but Joe Biden for opening the borders and let anyone walk in.
This might be an appropriate time to dust off the history books and ask ourselves why people have fled their homelands in pursuit of a better life. Just consider the overt and covert operations of the United States in the Caribbean and Latin America over the past 100 years. Blockades, embargos, invasions, coups, death squads, right wing dictators; all courtesy of our government. How many of these countries are better because of our involvement?
* Guatemala (1954)
* Chile (1973)
* Cuba (1933, 1934, 1961)
* Nicaragua (1909–1933, 1980’s)
* Brazil (1964)
* Argentina (1976–1983)
* Dominican Republic (1916, 1965)
* Panama (1903, 1988)
* El Salvador (1980’s)
* Bolivia (1960’s-1970’s)
* Uruguay (1973)
* Haiti (1915–1934, 1991)
* Venezuela (2002, 2026)
Rebel heart sums up the historical reasons..People came here from the Caribbean and Central America seeking refuge not becuz they wanted to leave their family country culture but BECAUSE they had to escape brutal military regimes often bankrolled by big multinationals like United Fruit who profited off the sweat and low wages they pd agricultural workers.They came here to seek a better life so their kids could breathe. Some comments call them ILLEGAL.REALLY with immigration quotas so low and yrs for green cards so long and fees,so high yes,people fleeing brutal regimes and cartels came here many of the current residents of New Bedford and Fall River fleeing Volcanoes and the Salazar regime have to ask themselves what would their status be if Ted Kennedy in a Bipartisan bill hadnt increased the quotas from Southern Europe..Laying aside Ex Sheriff Tom Hodgsons partisan MAGA politics who not surprisingly wants to hurt the fish packing industry in the same way he locked up the clothing workers back in the day and drove away the company into bankruptcy must be the MAGA program for jobs in America..thus has nothing to do w SANCTUARY but EVERYTHING to do w striking fear into our immigrant community and to feed red meat to MAGAS,shrinking cult dividing us and teaching hate..on Nov 3rd we’ll have the opportunity to take a step in putting them out of power..LETS ROLL! SWARM THE MAILBOXES AND VOTING BOOTHS
Print all the opinions, not just the ones that line up with the far left liberal New Bedford Light, it’s a total joke when the New Bedford Light tries to say they represent the whole community.
I just don’t understand how this cruelty leveled at people just escaping horrendous situations makes life any better for the rest of us. They’re not going after the criminals, just hardworking people. And the detainment centers! Just a money bonanza for the private companies that serve moldy, bug infested food, don’t provide medical care to those in need, clean water, or basic personal hygiene products. One day, we’ll be asked what we did during this period.
Mayor Mitchell may not be able to block ICE from abducting people but he sure could put road blacks in the way. ICE has caused New Bedford’s community and small businesses real hardship and pain. ICE is directly responsible for threatening the livelihoods of residents who live here, work and serve in our community. How about finding out where they eat and stay and talk with the owners of those establishments. Ask them to refuse to serve agents of abductions and exposing those who support ICE. He could speak out stronger against ICE – and so could the select boards around the county. ICE agents are rounding up, abducting, and deporting people who are living and working here in accordance with our legal processes. The federal government is doing it to try and make us afraid of their power. The mayor could publicly embrace those people and organizations fighting every day to expose ICE and protect our community. He should get off the fence and plant his feet firmly on the ground.
All the far left lunatics here whining about the mean ICE Agents and people that don’t share their view on undocumented illegals, do something about it, and use your time to help fix this problem. It’s time to stop writing far left mumbo jumbo and start helping these undocumented illegals that have committed no crimes get on the path to becoming legal so maybe just maybe this will all stop.