A state representative from Brockton, Massachusetts, took it upon herself to warn the state’s illegal immigrants of possible ICE raids. Rep. Michelle DuBois said her warning was “just forwarding” a “rumor” there might be immigration raids by the federal authorities.
State Rep. Michelle DuBois said it was unclear if there were even “raids” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the city, despite her warning of one today and tomorrow, but claimed there have already been “many” in and around Brockton.
“If you are undocumented don’t go out on the street. If there is a knock on the door of your house and you don’t know who it is, don’t open the door. I ask you to be careful,” DuBois wrote in the Facebook post, relaying a message she said got from “my friend in the Latin community.”
The Boston Herald describes the comments on Facebook as mostly “critical” of the action. DuBois said her critics were responding to an “unintended controversy.”
DuBois doesn’t represent all the officials in Massachusetts. Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has spoken out against lax immigration enforcement and sanctuary cities. He recently testified before a House Subcommittee on Immigration in Washington, D.C., and mentioned DuBois’ Facebook post.
“It completely undermines law enforcement,” Hodgson said, according to his Twitter account.
DuBois is standing by her post, even if there has been no confirmation of any ICE raids in the area.
“Passing information along that is already all over the community not only lets the people I represent know what is happening, it lets ICE know that everyone in Brockton is aware of ICE’s planned raid (if there was one),” she said in a text to a Herald reporter.
“There are many people in Brockton (documented and not) as well as people across this Nation who are terrified,” she wrote. “This rumor of an ICE raid in Brockton was wide-spread in Brockton. There have been many ICE raids in the City.”
Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for the ICE New England office, said: “Any person who actively incites panic or fear of law enforcement is doing a disservice to the community, endangering public safety and the very people they claim to support and represent.”
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