EASTHAMPTON — Thursday wasn’t a typical morning for city resident David Cavagnac, who saw five unmarked vehicles driven by masked people detain three people right in front of his East Street home, he said.
At approximately 8 a.m., multiple witnesses reported seeing unmarked vehicles pull over and detain people in front of Pepin Farm at 491 East St., several of whom believe Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was responsible.
Cavagnac reported seeing several masked people wearing varied attire exit from five unmarked vehicles blaring sirens after pulling over a white Ford van. Three occupants were detained from the van — two men and one woman who were speaking Spanish. He said the woman was dragged out of the the vehicle crying, screaming and vomiting while resisting the detainment. He mentioned two of the detainers had the tag “police” on their back.
“It had to be ICE, there was no Easthampton cop signage anywhere on them … It was weird, I heard a siren and looked out my window … they grabbed this poor girl. She was crying, screaming. I hated the whole thing,” he said.
Cavagnac, who went to confront the detainers, claimed one of them said, “It’s because of their car.”
“It was just a sad situation. It made me pretty embarrassed to be an American,” he said.
Cavagnac’s wife, Fran Cavagnac, said the incident was “very upsetting.”
“I haven’t done much today,” she said. “It’s one thing to see it on TV, but it’s another thing to see it in our little neighborhood.”
She wondered where the people detained went and what happened to the car they were driving, claiming the five cars surrounded the van and remained there for about an hour.
“I wasn’t sure if they were police and then I realized it had to be ICE …” said Pepin Farm owner Jane Pepin. “If it was Easthampton Police, I would’ve known who they were. They wouldn’t have been undercover.”
The city of Easthampton announced in a statement at approximately 2 p.m. that multiple reports had been made regarding possible ICE activity in the city. At the time, no information was given to confirm these reports provided to city officials, reinforcing that Easthampton Police had no involvement with the detainments. Per city policy, the police are not allowed to assist ICE.
“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 on the city’s website reads. “Local law enforcement is committed to serving and protecting all members of our community, regardless of immigration status.”
In a statement released on Sept. 6, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — which ICE operates under — highlighted some of the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” arrested in Massachusetts during the kickoff of “Operation Patriot 2.0.”
The statement quotes DHS Assistant Secretary of the Office of Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin:
“On September 6, ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May. Sanctuary policies like those pushed by (Boston) Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but protect them at the peril of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting rapists, child abusers, drug traffickers, and other violent thugs. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, nowhere is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”
The city will continue to monitor the situation closely and will announce any confirmed information, the Thursday afternoon statement said. Residents are encouraged to contact Easthampton Police Department with any related information.
