U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested multiple individuals on 21 September in New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A., four of whom work in seafood facilities.
According to a report from The New Bedford Light, reporters witnessed the arrests taking place along the waterfront around 10 a.m., with officers concealed in clothing pushing individuals into SUVs parked at the Dartmouth Mall.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey released a statement through her office following the raids, reporting that numbers soon climbed to 12 arrests.
“We have been hearing from alarmed family members and advocates in New Bedford after ICE reportedly arrested at least a dozen people yesterday," Healey said in a release by her office. "Many of those arrested have lived here for many years and have families here. They were on their way to work at a fishing plant, supermarket, and other key industries for the region. We’ve heard of one father who was arrested and has several children at home, including a 1-month-old baby. We heard about an 8-year-old boy who was waiting for his father to pick him up from school, but he had been arrested. These stories are heartbreaking and their loved ones have no answers."
Healey asked the federal department to provide information on who was arrested and why. The New Bedford Light released the names of three individuals who have been detained, but ICE has not shared any additional information.
"Our administration will continue to provide support to the community and families, but ICE needs to answer for their actions," Healey said.
This is not the first time such actions have been carried out against seafood workers in New Bedford.
A former worker spoke with SeafoodSource under a clause of anonymity last June, saying many workers in the town's processing sector live in a constant state of fear they will not be able to return home after their shift. In May 2025, two Guatemalan scallop processors working with Ocean Fleet were detained while on the job in New Bedford
In the 21 September report by New Bedford Light, immigrant advocacy organization Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores Executive Director Adrian Ventura confirmed four of the detainees worked in the seafood industry during a conference with families of those detained.
Following the recent events, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell released a statement on Facebook calling out the federal department's "new management" as continued overreach.
"It grabbed at least eight individuals who were going about their morning routines," Mitchell said on Facebook. "There is no indication any one of them had criminal records beyond minor motor vehicle violations. The agency then refrained from releasing information about them, leaving their friends, family, and employers in the dark, and it failed yet again to notify our police department of its operations, putting at risk police officers who might arrive on scene."
Mitchell continued by calling on the department to reform.
"This is not the way the system should work," Mitchell said. "It reminds us yet again that America’s immigration law and the agency primarily charged with enforcing it must be overhauled."
