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SUV Delivery to Burlington ICE Office Deepens Oversight Standoff

Officials say federal denials of inspection requests leave them unable to oversee the site.

Overview

  • An activist group documented 24 unmarked SUVs being dropped off on January 7 at ICE’s Burlington, Massachusetts, regional office.
  • ICE Boston referred vehicle inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security, which declined to confirm any operational changes and said it does not discuss future activity.
  • Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu expressed concern about a potential surge in enforcement, though no plan has been announced by federal authorities.
  • The Burlington Select Board’s bid to inspect the facility was rejected last summer on “operational security” grounds, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell says her office lacks authority over federal sites and has limited coordination with the U.S. Attorney.
  • The field office has held detainees overnight despite not being designed as a detention center, drawing weekly protests and recent arrests, with fears heightened by recent ICE actions and a fatal shooting in Minneapolis.