Family Detained in ICE Raid Released Following Sackets Harbor Protests

The release comes after eleven days of detention and significant community outcry over the treatment of a third-grade student and his family during an immigration operation.

A mother and her three children, detained during a March 27 ICE raid in Sackets Harbor, New York, have been released after sustained local protests.
The raid targeted a South African national charged with child pornography-related offenses but also led to the detention of the family, who lived nearby without legal documentation.
Approximately 1,000 residents marched to the home of border czar Tom Homan on April 5, demanding the family's release and denouncing ICE's actions as disruptive and harmful to the community.
Local educators and community leaders criticized the operation, highlighting the emotional toll on the detained children, who were students at Sackets Harbor Central School.
ICE defended the raid as lawful, stating that decisions regarding detainees are made following investigations, while critics argue such actions raise ethical concerns about the treatment of families and minors.