Man Described Being Handcuffed by Federal Agents in Chelsea
A resident in Massachusetts claims he was detained and questioned by suspected ICE officers while walking to a store this week.
By Jillian Foster ·
Three or four individuals approached a man on foot in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on the morning of Thursday, according to his account of the incident.
The man, who requested to remain anonymous, stated that the group stopped him as he was walking toward a local store. He said the individuals shouted a name they were seeking and declared that he matched the description.
He denied being the person they were looking for, but the group seized him from behind and placed handcuffs on his wrists. He insisted that he held legal documentation and attempted to display his identification, yet the agents prevented him from showing it.
Gladys Vega, the director of the organization La Colaborativa, witnessed the interaction and began recording video. She observed one of the agents, a woman speaking Spanish, instruct a colleague to check the man’s wallet. The officer then confirmed that the man was a legal resident.
The agents released the man after verifying his identity. He described his physical state following the encounter, noting that he was still trembling. He said he had been shaking for hours since the detention ended.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded to inquiries regarding the activity near schools and the specific incident in Chelsea. The agency stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not target schools and declined to provide details on specific police operations to protect agent safety.
In Revere, a nearby community, parents are preparing their children for potential interactions with immigration officials. Carmen Chicas, a mother in Revere, said she is instructing her children on emergency procedures, including specific phone numbers to call if they are separated from her.
