Massachusetts teen detained by ICE out of state, community demands his release
The boy was taken into ICE custody on Oct. 9, according to police.
A teen boy who was arrested for allegedly threatening another middle schooler in Massachusetts was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to police, sparking outrage within the local community.
Last week, police in Everett received a "credible tip" of a "juvenile boy who made a violent threat against another boy within our public school," leading to the boy's arrest, Mayor Carlo DeMaria said during a press conference on Tuesday.
"After an investigation, officers arrested the juvenile and recovered a 6- to 7-inch, double-sided knife," DeMaria said, adding that "no guns were found."
Once the boy was taken into police custody, officials took his fingerprints, which were procedurally sent to ICE to "determine if you are an illegal entry," Everett Police Chief Paul Strong said during the press conference with the mayor. Officials said ICE came to detain the boy on Thursday afternoon.
DeMaria and Strong would not comment on the boy's immigration status, what grade he was in or his name.
"The best way to support public safety is to ensure neighbors trust each other and trust the police enough to report crimes. ICE does the exact opposite: they foster division and exploit the immigrant population," Katy Rogers, Everett city councilor at large, said in a statement to ABC News. "On Thursday, that trust was violated, not by Everett Police, but by the federal government."
Rogers told ABC News the boy is 13 years old and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) released a statement saying he is in the seventh grade.
Strong said this is the "first time a juvenile has been taken" into ICE custody in Everett.
Officials said the boy's mother was at the police station when ICE arrived, but left "at a certain point."
The mayor emphasized that police do "not make arrests based on immigration status" and that officials "did not contact ICE about this recent juvenile arrest" -- ICE only received fingerprints as a matter of procedure.
"ICE operates independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement data bases and take action on its own accord," DeMaria said on Tuesday.
The Everett Police Department did not respond to ABC News' request for comment on whether they routinely fingerprint minors and if those fingerprints are sent to ICE.
The Department of Homeland Security shared a post on X claiming the boy was "in possession of a firearm and a 5-7 inch knife when arrested" and that he had an "EXTENSIVE rap sheet" including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, destruction of property and breaking and entering.
DeMaria, the Everett mayor, continuously denied the claims of the boy possessing a firearm. Neither the mayor nor police commented on the DHS allegation of a rap sheet.
"There was no firearm recovered," DeMaria said on Tuesday.
Neither the mayor nor police commented on the DHS allegation of a rap sheet.
Since the boy's detainment, members in the community and local leaders have sparked outrage, demanding for his release.
Rogers and MIRA have said the boy is now being held in a detention facility in Virginia. Police did not respond to ABC News' request to confirm where the boy is being held and the city's director of communications said they "cannot comment on their location." The teen's mom and attorney did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment.
"Let me be very clear: Everett Police are not the problem. The program is grotesque federal outreach -- an unprecedented intrusion designed to create fear and fracture our community," Rogers said.
Massachusetts State Sen. Sal DiDomenico said during a city council meeting on Tuesday that ICE is a "rogue agency that is breaking the law in our community."
"It's very simple -- ICE should not be detaining minors, we shouldn't be collaborating with ICE at all, really," Shane McNally, an Everett resident, said during the city council meeting.
"Return the child to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Rogers said. "Remove ICE from our city. Issue a formal correction to the misinformation spread online."