The Chelsea community unites to demand justice for detained asylum seekers.
The Chelsea community rallied at city hall to protest the detainment of two young asylum seekers by ICE. Belizario A. Benito Vazquez and Geovani De La Cruz Catalan were both apprehended without prior notice, raising concerns over ICE’s treatment of individuals without criminal records. Local leaders and families call for accountability and humane practices from the agency amid fears within the immigrant community.
Chelsea – The Chelsea community came together on Thursday to hold a “United We Stand” rally outside city hall, protesting the recent detainment of two young asylum seekers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The rally was prompted by the apprehension of Belizario A. Benito Vazquez, a 19-year-old Chelsea public school student, who was detained by ICE on the same day and has since been transferred to a Plymouth holding facility.
Vazquez, who has no criminal record, was complying with asylum policies and procedures. He had appeared before an immigration judge as recently as May. Without prior notice to his family, ICE agents requested him to report to their offices on the morning of the detainment, where he was immediately taken into custody. The Vazquez family is seeking asylum from Guatemala, citing threats from gangs and an abusive family situation as reasons for their immigration.
Vazquez’s mother, Marta, and his older brother, Alexander, both immigrated to the U.S. five years ago with clean records and work permits, demonstrating compliance with the asylum process. Meanwhile, a second young man, Geovani De La Cruz Catalan, aged 20, faced a similar fate when he was detained by ICE on Wednesday, just days after receiving his high school diploma. De La Cruz was stopped at his home by ICE agents while picking up tools for a job and also has no criminal history.
De La Cruz is scheduled for an immigration hearing on June 23. His stepmother, Mayra Balderas, who is also a member of the Chelsea School Committee, described his detainment as an “injustice” and urged community members to rally in support of their rights. The recent actions of ICE agents have not only impacted these individuals but have also raised concerns among local leaders regarding the aggressive tactics employed by the agency, which included an incident where agents broke a car window to apprehend an individual following a church service.
Chelsea Councilman Roberto Jiménez Rivera voiced his condemnation of ICE’s actions, highlighting that these practices violate the rights of individuals. He called for a potential lawsuit against the agency. Additionally, local community leaders expressed concerns about the chilling effect that ICE operations have on crime reporting and overall public safety in the community.
Chelsea Superintendent Almi Abeyta confirmed that other students have also been detained by ICE, raising alarm about the treatment of minors involved in such operations. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey joined the call for transparency regarding ICE’s practices, criticizing the agency for detaining individuals without criminal records.
Data from ICE indicates that a significant percentage of those arrested in Massachusetts do, in fact, have criminal records, which adds to the ongoing debate about the agency’s operations. Community activists and leaders have raised concerns about the militarized approach of ICE agents and the tendency for members of the immigrant community to be hesitant in seeking assistance from local police due to fear of being reported to immigration authorities.
The ongoing protests in Chelsea reflect a growing concern about the treatment of vulnerable members of the community and a call for greater accountability and humane practices from ICE. The community remains united in its efforts to support those facing deportation and to advocate for asylum seekers’ rights.
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