U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an undocumented man with a criminal conviction in Mamaroneck on Friday morning, the Mamaroneck Police Department confirmed.
Village police said they were alerted to ICE’s presence, along with agents from the FBI, around 8:15 a.m. near Columbus Park and confirmed agents had been investigating an undocumented individual convicted of a DUI and criminal trespassing. ICE was not able to find that person but found another undocumented man that they arrested on June 27, who was convicted of a DUI, according to reports.
Mamaroneck police emphasized that they were not involved in the arrest, which took place at the 516 Van Ranst Place apartment building near the park, and did not assist ICE in either case.
“Please know that our Police Department is not ICE. They will follow the law, but they are not in charge of immigration issues,” said Mamaroneck Mayor Sharon Torres in a Friday morning Facebook post. “They are here to serve and protect the Village and its residents.”
Close to 30 percent of Mamaroneck’s population identifies as Latino or Hispanic, according to U.S. census data. It is unclear, however, how many immigrants living in the village are undocumented.
Friday’s arrest comes amid a spate of ICE arrests in the area, with undocumented individuals nabbed in New Rochelle and Connecticut earlier in the month, according to reports.
”The fear of ICE’s presence limits people’s chance to go to work or the safety that they’re feeling just going to work,” said Jirandy Martinez, executive director of the Community Resource Center in Larchmont and Mamaroneck, a nonprofit serving immigrant and low-income families.
“Some folks have been afraid to pick up their children from school or send their children to school,” she added.
The center helps mainly Latino immigrants, with most coming from Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and El Salvador.
ICE raids and arrests have only grown since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Apprehensions have increased 627 percent in the first month of Trump’s second term, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The department also said that since January, they have taken into custody over 236,000 undocumented immigrants and have deported over 207,000, according to a report from The Guardian.
Police encourage Mamaroneck residents to call the department if they are approached by ICE and need assistance.
“The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department cannot stop ICE agents from doing their job, but can verify their credentials,” the department said in a press release.
Torres did not return The Record’s calls seeking comment.
