ICE Arrests Woman Outside Hill Home

Federal agents arrested a 37-year-old factory worker in front of her home in the Hill as she was with her children.

The arrest by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took place on Monday morning.

New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson confirmed that the arrest took place. New Haven police have no involvement in ICE immigration actions. But when they hear rumors of ICE actions in town — some of which turn out not to be true — the police make inquiries in order to help inform the public, Jacobson said.

He said the two children were left in the care of another adult after the arrest.

John Lugo, an organizer with Unidad Latina en Accion (ULA), said his group has been in contact with the family. He said the woman, who is from Mexico, was en route to bringing her children, ages 8 and 13, to school when four ICE vehicles boxed in her car. He said the woman called her husband, who was at work on a construction job. She handed her phone to an ICE agent, who informed her husband ICE was arresting his wife on a warrant.

The children were left with a visiting grandmother, according to Lugo.

“We need to stop separating these families. We have two kids living in trauma just because their mother was taken away. One of the kids is autistic. He doesn’t understand what is going on; he keeps asking for his mother. How cruel is that?”

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.

Monday’s arrest took place amid a ramping up of ICE immigration arrests nationwide, and growing protests against the actions. ULA and others are planning a protest against the raids outside the 150 Court St. federal building Wednesday starting at 4 p.m.

Chief Jacobson said the woman has a state court case pending. State records show that the woman faces two misdemeanor charges unrelated to immigration, to which she has not yet entered a plea.

This story will be updated later today.