Kenia Guerrero, a Chelsea resident, recounted a traumatic event that occurred on Mother’s Day when she and her family were driving to church. Their vehicle was unexpectedly surrounded by federal immigration agents in unmarked cars.
“Everything happened so fast. I saw one of them raise what looked like a gun or a weapon, and they threatened to break the [car] window,” Guerrero shared during a roundtable discussion for impacted immigrant families in East Boston on Monday.
This gathering, hosted by U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley at Maverick Landing Community Services, provided a platform for families like Guerrero’s to publicly discuss the emotional toll of recent detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Guerrero detailed her husband Daniel Flores Martinez’s detainment last month, an event she documented on social media. “I begged them not to be violent because my children were present,” she recounted.
Despite her pleas, the agents forcibly smashed the passenger side window, opened the car door, and detained her husband. Guerrero described how her husband, who did not resist, was aggressively restrained – slammed face-first onto the sidewalk with an agent’s knees on his back, while their children, aged 3, 12, and 14, screamed in fear.
The aftermath was devastating for the family. Guerrero expressed, “He needs to come home, please. I can’t do this on my own.” Flores Martinez is currently being held in an ICE detention facility in Rhode Island, with unknown charges.
Meanwhile, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal from Lawyers for Civil Rights, representing the family, argued that Flores Martinez’s detainment was entirely unlawful, stating that all actions taken by the agents violated the family’s constitutional rights.
“The law states that the car’s interior is protected under the Fourth Amendment from unreasonable police intrusions,” he affirmed.
It was also revealed that Flores Martinez had a “minor legal issue many years back,” which had been resolved through probation and counseling, and has long been behind him. However, ICE did not provide immediate comments regarding the incidents discussed during the roundtable.
The timing of the roundtable coincided with announcements from federal officials in Boston revealing nearly 1,500 immigration arrests had occurred in May alone.
Another attendee, Yolanda, a Randolph resident who requested anonymity due to fears of deportation, shared her heart-wrenching story of her husband Santo, who was recently detained and transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana.
Santo, originally from the Dominican Republic, reportedly has no criminal record and has been without his diabetes medication for ten days since his detainment.
Yolanda expressed her desperation, stating that she and their son would prefer her husband be released to them or returned to his home country than remain in detention.
Advocates present, including Pressley, urged community members to support their immigrant neighbors and assert their rights amidst what they characterized as a coordinated assault targeting immigrants.
“There is a coordinated assault and attack that is hyper-focused on the immigrant community,” Pressley stated, stressing that these actions pose a threat to the wider society as well.
Nicole Eigbrett, co-director of the Asian American Resource Workshop and a member of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA, highlighted the alarming tactics used by ICE agents. She noted an increase in community engagement, with over 600 calls to a hotline regarding ICE sightings just in the past week, indicating the urgency of the situation.
“ICE agents are acting with complete impunity, coming into our community wearing balaclavas, military gear, and refusing to identify themselves,” Eigbrett asserted.
Centro Presente, another advocacy organization, recently launched a campaign following the detainment of José Pineda, a resident of East Boston. His wife, Mercedes Pineda, recounted that he was detained while at his construction job, despite having a work permit and no criminal record.
Originally from El Salvador, José Pineda has Temporary Protected Status and has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. Mercedes recalled that agents told her husband, “only people born here have rights.”
He was held in Burlington’s ICE office for two days, subjected to poor conditions, including sleeping on the cell floor with numerous others. After a public outcry, José was released, but the family continues living in fear of further detentions.
Their 12-year-old daughter, Michelle, a U.S. citizen, spoke at the event, sharing that she has suffered anxiety attacks since her father’s detention. “I’m glad he was released, but I’m still scared when he goes to work,” Michelle admitted, explaining how she turns to music to help cope with her anxiety.
The roundtable not only highlighted individual experiences but also emphasized the urgent need for community solidarity.
Families like those of Guerrero and Pineda stress the profound emotional impacts and fears faced daily by immigrant communities due to escalating ICE actions.
As the conversation around ice continues to unfold, advocates remain resolute in their calls for justice and reform. They urge the community to collectively stand against the unjust actions of immigration enforcement agencies and to protect the rights of all families, regardless of their immigration status.
image source from：https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2025-06-02/local-immigrant-families-speak-out-about-the-impact-of-ice-detentions
