Agents believed to be ICE seen detaining 4 in Easthampton
EASTHAMPTON — The Mayor's Office and residents are reporting unconfirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city, including the detention of four people Thursday morning.
At about 8 a.m., officers with an unknown police agency stopped a car on East Street with four occupants, two men and two women, near Pepin Farm.
Lindsi Sekula, a candidate for mayor and the mayor's executive assistant, confirmed the sighting on Facebook this afternoon.
The interaction lasted more than an hour, according to resident and farmer Jane Pepin and her East Street neighbors.
Officers were in civilian clothes and masked, and one had "police" spelled out on the back of his clothing, neighbors said. No other identification was visible on the armed officers or their vehicles.
The people taken into custody appeared to be Hispanic, and neighbors said that they had seen the two men in the community before.
A number of unmarked police vehicles were on scene, but so were cars of supporters of the people being detained.
ICE officials declined to comment on the presence of agents in the community Thursday.
Agents broke the window and mirror on the passenger's side of the vehicle and dragged out a woman from the seat. She was pulled to the ground and was cuffed. She became ill and was yelling, neighbors said.
One neighbor asked the officers what was going on. One of the officers indicated it was an issue with a car.
Meanwhile, the Mayor's Office issued a statement around 2 p.m., saying that reports of unconfirmed ICE activity had come to the city's attention.
"At this time, we have not been able to independently confirm these reports, and no official information or verification has been provided to the city," the Mayor's Office said in the statement. "We understand that such reports can cause concern and want to reassure residents that the Easthampton Police Department does not collaborate with ICE in any capacity."
The statement from Easthampton City Hall reminds residents that the city Police Department does not collaborate with ICE in any capacity.
"Local law enforcement is committed to serving and protecting all members of our community, regardless of immigration status," the statement read.
East Street neighbor and eyewitness Fran Cavagnac said she is desperate for more information.
"Not knowing is more frightening," she said. "It's just an alarming time, politically, for everyone."
She was one of the neighbors who described a chaotic scene. Speaking hours after the incident, she said seen the detained men in the neighborhood over the past few months, including once when they asked her for directions.
Pepin, who lives on the other side of East Street, said the detained woman pulled to the pavement was quite small.
"I felt sorry for her," she said.
Other neighbors went to check on the detained woman. Neighbor Ashley Cabana said she became frustrated with the situation, including the rough treatment, and started yelling at the agents.
The agents didn't respond, except to tell one bystander, "It's their car," Cavagnac said.
"As if they'd broken down and had car trouble," she said.
The city "will continue to monitor the situation closely," the statement from the Mayor's Office said.
"If we receive confirmed information, we will share it with the public promptly and transparently," the Mayor's Office said. "In the meantime, we encourage residents to stay informed through official city channels. Anyone with credible information related to this matter is encouraged to contact Easthampton Police Department directly."
The most recent president of the Easthampton City Council, Salem Derby, has been serving as mayor in the interim since former Mayor Nicole LaChapelle left for a state job in July.
Pepin's husband, Kenneth Pepin, said he was picking sweetcorn at the time. He expressed mixed feelings about immigration enforcement.
"I feel bad for them. They are only trying to come and make a better life," he said. "But why can't they do it legally?"
East Street resident Jane Pepin shows photos of the detention incident on her phone Thursday. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
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