U.S. immigration authorities seem to be taking the Trump mass deportation policy to the next level in Massachusetts.
Several people have reportedly been arrested near or inside immigration courts in the Bay State.
According to WGBH, three individuals were detained this week near or inside Massachusetts immigration courts, marking a significant shift in U.S. immigration law enforcement. These are the first such arrests recorded in the state under President Donald Trump’s current administration, said WGBH in a recently published article.
Two men were apprehended in the parking lot of the Chelmsford immigration court immediately following their respective hearings. In Boston, a Colombian woman was arrested by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents just outside the immigration courtroom after her appearance.
Her attorney, Christy Rodriguez from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, told WGBH News that the arrest occurred despite the judge’s ruling prohibiting her expedited removal. “I asked what was the reason for her arrest,” she explained. “They informed me they intended to initiate a rapid deportation procedure.”
The incident has sparked strong protests among legal professionals and human rights advocates. Adriana Lafaille, senior attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts, told WGBH: “This trend is deeply concerning. Every person on American soil has the right to due process. It’s disturbing to see ICE denying these individuals their right to a judicial hearing.”
The arrested woman, whose identity remains confidential for security reasons, is married to a legal permanent resident. Her hearing concerned the regularization of her status. Judge Mark Donovan had explicitly ruled that she should not be subject to expedited removal, ordering that her case follow standard judicial procedures.
Despite this, about ten plainclothes agents intercepted and handcuffed her immediately after she left the courtroom, according to Rodriguez. The attorney had presented documents proving an upcoming scheduled hearing, which typically prevents ICE detention during case processing.
Another defense attorney, Benjamin Tymann, also affiliated with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, immediately filed a habeas corpus petition with a federal court. Federal Judge Leo Sorokin promptly issued an order explicitly prohibiting the woman’s deportation or transfer to another state.
“ICE detained her illegally, in clear violation of Judge Donovan’s order,” Tymann told WGBH News. He mentioned that at the time of the interview, he was unaware of his client’s exact location. He strongly criticized what he described as an “increasingly chaotic” approach by immigration services.
This arrest raises significant questions about the evolution of federal practices in immigration law enforcement under President Trump’s current administration.
According to Heather Arroyo, lead immigration attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, these arrests inside or in the immediate vicinity of courthouses represent a clear departure from previous practices, even under the Trump administration. “This is an unprecedented violation of procedural fairness,” she told WGBH News.
Historically, court appearances have been protected from direct law enforcement intervention to guarantee the fundamental right to be heard. Arresting someone immediately after a favorable decision by a judge raises major constitutional concerns.
People summoned to immigration courts may appear for various reasons: asylum applications, status regularization, deportation challenges, or bail hearings.
According to experts, these arrest tactics could deter many migrants from attending their hearings, fearing apprehension, which ironically could lead to their deportation in absentia.
The hearings primarily take place at the JFK Federal Building in Boston, where ICE agents appear to be operating more openly under President Trump’s current administration.
ICE begins detentions at immigration courts in Boston and Chelmsford | GBH
