ICE Detains Dozens in Connecticut Amid Mass Deportation Campaign
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested dozens of immigrants in Danbury and other Connecticut cities, sparking widespread protests and accusations of racial profiling.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a ramped-up enforcement operation across Connecticut starting August 25, 2026, as part of a nationwide mass deportation campaign. While the agency declined to provide official figures, Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves reported over 70 arrests in Danbury alone, and Senator Richard Blumenthal estimated statewide detentions reached into the hundreds.
Agents carried out arrests at apartment buildings, parks, traffic stops, and near daycare centers and elementary schools. Local officials report that the operations impacted at least 65 families and caused a drop in public school attendance by approximately 700 students. In Danbury, the raids led to a precipitous decline in restaurant business, prompting a "Day Without Immigrants" where local businesses closed to highlight the community's economic reliance on immigrant labor.
Administration official Tom Homan and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the actions, stating agents target criminals and those with final orders of removal to save American lives. Conversely, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy denounced the tactics as traumatizing and called for funding cuts and accountability. Mayor Roberto Alves and State Representative Farley Santos, both former undocumented immigrants, reported receiving death threats after opposing the raids.
Tensions escalated as hundreds of protesters marched through Danbury on September 3. Previous confrontations between protesters and ICE officers resulted in the use of pepper spray by federal agents.
