Danbury ICE raids stoke fear in Connecticut as deportations surge nationwide

Federal immigration authorities have detained dozens of people in Danbury, Connecticut, this week, in an operation that has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and community advocates. The raids, which began Monday, have unfolded despite the state's efforts to limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Advocates with the group Danbury Unites for Immigrants say more than 50 arrests have affected 40 families, leaving many residents in hiding. Clementina Lunar, an advocate with the group, described the impact on households, saying breadwinners with young children have been taken into custody. "ICE has been terrorizing" the city, she said.

ICE officers, some wearing masks, have been seen detaining people near apartment buildings, parks, an elementary school, and a daycare center. One father was reportedly taken into custody just after his child boarded a school bus. The Department of Homeland Security said the operation targeted "public safety threats," noting at least four of those arrested had prior convictions for violent crimes.

Nearly a third of Danbury's 90,000 residents are Hispanic or Latino, and a significant share were born abroad. Mayor Roberto Alves, a Brazilian immigrant, said those detained include a 30-year resident with work authorization who was paying taxes and pursuing permanent residency. "The folks doing it the right way are also getting deported," he said, adding that he believes agents engaged in racial profiling. DHS rejected that allegation.

Connecticut lawmakers held a news conference Wednesday to denounce the raids, saying they are traumatizing students returning to school. The state recently passed a law creating protected areas around schools and churches and barring ICE officers from wearing masks. The Justice Department has challenged that law as unconstitutional.

Nationwide, ICE arrests have climbed sharply, with nearly 50,000 people detained in July alone — the highest monthly figure of President Donald Trump's second term. Data from the Deportation Data Project shows most of those arrested had no criminal record. While many arrests occurred in states that cooperate with federal authorities, numbers also rose in states like Connecticut and New Jersey that limit ICE cooperation.

In Danbury, confrontations between protesters and agents have turned tense, with activists reporting that pepper spray was used at least once. Local officials say they may lack the authority to intervene directly, even as they face pressure from residents to do more.