Milford, Massachusetts student speaks out after friend is detained by ICE agents on way to volleyball practice
Four Milford High School students were on their way to volleyball practice on Saturday when one of them was taken into custody by ICE agents.
WBZ-TV spoke to one of the students in the car, who is also undocumented. He asked to remain anonymous.
The student said that they were heading to practice when three unmarked vehicles pulled up behind the car. The agents interrogated them about their documentation before taking the 18-year-old driver into custody. The student said he was not taken into custody by ICE because he is underage.
Student describes ICE arrest
"An ice officer had stepped out of his vehicle, walked over to us, and knocked on the window. And they asked him what his documentation was," the student continued. "That's kind of when emotion hit, and I began crying. No facial expressions, just tears started coming down my eyes."
The student said that his friend, the driver, had been in the country since he was a young child. He said that they weren't doing anything wrong to warrant being pulled over.
"I didn't see him run a red light, or I didn't see him do anything that was necessarily illegal. We were just on our way."
The student WBZ-TV spoke to says that he feels afraid that everything he and his friend had worked for is in jeopardy.
"I always knew that this was a system where it could get people who were undocumented and committed bad things, but now it's turning into a system that just kicks everybody out based on your status," he said.
The 18-year-old who was detained is also a member of the school band. He was scheduled to play at Milford High School's graduation ceremony on Sunday.
Town responds to student being arrested by ICE
Milford Public Schools said ICE had detained several parents of students in recent weeks.
"We are all distraught by this news," Superintendent of Milford Public Schools Kevin McIntyre said in a statement.
"The Milford Public Schools play no part in immigration enforcement and support all of our students and families, including those who are immigrants to the United States. They are members of the community, students in our classrooms, athletes that compete representing Milford, musicians, artists, friends, and neighbors."
Milford Police say they were not informed that ICE would be conducting this operation.
The town is outraged and terrified by the string of ICE arrests hitting Massachusetts and their own residents. A protest is planned for Sunday after the Milford High School graduation.
