ICE arrests 9 immigrants at a Boston car wash: a student reported them to agents
After the arrest of the immigrants at the car wash, Zac Segel, a Boston University student, expressed that
After receiving several complaints, ICE agents raided a car wash in Allston, Boston, and arrested 9 immigrants who worked there. A college student publicly took credit for reporting the car wash to immigration authorities. Zac Segel, president of the Boston University College Republicans, wrote on the social network X that his request to detain the car wash employees, whom he also called "criminals," was "finally" acted upon by ICE. "As a neighbor, I've seen American jobs being given away to people who have no right to be here. Let the numbers rise!" Segel said, referring to immigration detentions. Allston Car Wash issued a statement on Facebook rejecting the college student's actions, noting that he had never been in contact with the car wash's offices and therefore did not know who the workers were. "Publicly labeling our workforce as 'criminals' without knowing who they are is reckless and distressing," the statement read.
According to the Boston.com website, the ICE raid on the car wash occurred in early November; however, Zac Segel spoke out X days later.
“It was a targeted investigation,” says the lawyer for the arrested immigrants
Through a report by Noticias Telemundo, attorney Todd C. Pomerleau, specializing in immigration, criminal defense, appeals, and post-conviction remedies, determined that the ICE operation was targeted.
The legal expert, who represents the employees arrested at Allston Car Wash, stated: “All of my clients confirmed the following: they were basically asked to show their ID, they said yes, and they were immediately put in the vans. It was supposed to be a targeted investigation.”
For his part, Jose Ayala,A relative of three of the employees detained at the car wash questioned Zac Segel's motives for reporting the incident to ICE. According to an article published in X, Hispanic immigrants are "given" jobs that belong to Americans. "He has no heart, and he's not going to do the work we do," Ayala stated. His wife, his 22-year-old daughter, and a brother-in-law were taken into ICE custody. The Department of Homeland Security defends Zac Segel. After receiving death threats and calls for sanctions, Segel spoke out again in X on November 14. "I reported the suspicious activity to the authorities because that's what any American should do," he argued. He also said, "There's a difference between seeking opportunities and breaking the law to get them... My only goal has always been to keep this country strong and safe." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to his post by calling him a “patriot.”
Additionally, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of the DHS, explained to Telemundo that the operation at Allston Car Wash “was very selective and based on police intelligence.”
Finally, Melissa Gilliam, President of Boston University, reflected on the case: “When we focus only on differences, skin color, political opinions, we run the risk of fostering division and pain, where there should be unity and understanding.”