Elected Officials Sound Off On ICE Raids

Tuesday's immigration enforcement operation by ICE agents and other federal agencies on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard quickly became a national story this week. And elected officials all the way up to Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey sounded off on the raid as it became the latest flashpoint in the ongoing debate over President Donald Trump's immigration policy of mass deportations.

“Local police chiefs have zero information about what’s happening in their communities," Healey said on Wednesday. "We at the state level have zero information about what’s happening in communities. And that needs to change. We need to get answers. We need to get clarification from ICE. And it was very disturbing, needless to say, to wake up to that news about that activity on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket."

The Nantucket Police Department stated Tuesday that it had been notified by ICE of the pending immigration enforcement operation roughly 24 hours in advance, but had not been asked or offered to assist the federal authorities in any way.

The operation ended Tuesday with 40 people being taken into custody from Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Hyannis. ICE stated in a press release that the arrests included two people with criminal histories - “a documented gang member and at least one child sex offender” - along with “a significant number of illegal alien offenders.” The names of those taken into custody were not disclosed.

State Senator Julian Cyr, who represents Nantucket at the State House in Boston, offered sharp criticism of the raid in a post on his social media pages.

"The operation appears to have gone far beyond any targeted effort," Cyr stated. "Multiple work vans were profiled and pulled over across the islands, individuals were questioned without clear cause, and 40 people were taken into federal custody and dramatically removed from the islands aboard Coast Guard vessels. This kind of sweeping action has serious consequences. It has left families in fear, disrupted businesses of all kinds, and sent a chilling message to many residents who have lived, worked, and contributed to island life for years. While federal officials continue to cite the arrest of two individuals with criminal histories, that does not justify these broad, indiscriminate tactics with little regard for due process. These actions reflect a troubling nationwide political agenda on immigration enforcement—one that prioritizes fear over fairness."

While the Nantucket Select Board did not address the ICE raid during its meeting on Wednesday, outgoing chair Brook Mohr offered a brief personal statement when asked by the Current:

"Personally, I am deeply concerned about the emotional toll these actions are taking on members of our community who live here peacefully and work hard," Mohr said.

Toby Brown, the chair of the Nantucket Republican Town Committee, expressed his support for the operation and criticized Healey and Cyr for speaking out against it.

"From what I gathered, ICE came over on a targeted operation to remove some people that were violent criminals and sex offenders," Brown said. "The operation seems to resemble the one that took place in the fall of 2024 under President Biden’s administration. I think it’s irresponsible that Gov. Healy and Sen. Julian Cyr have expressed opposition to the arrests, and to me, seem like they don’t value the public safety of our community."