Arrests at School Bus Stops in Connecticut Raise Concerns

Recent reports indicate that federal immigration agents have been arresting parents at school bus stops in a Connecticut town with a significant immigrant population. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has spoken out about these actions.

Murphy stated, “This morning in Danbury, ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops.” He used a platform post to express his concerns on Wednesday. Murphy added, “But it’s more sinister. ICE waited until the kids were on the bus so when they are dropped off at the end of the day, they are alone, scared to death they can’t find their parents. I’m heading to Danbury.” However, Murphy has yet to provide evidence that agents were intentionally waiting for children to board buses before conducting arrests.

Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for statements on these claims.

These allegations were supported by a video shared by the immigrant advocacy group Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants. The video, posted on Facebook, seems to have been recorded from inside a school bus in Danbury during an immigration enforcement operation.

The footage, taken from a moving bus, shows several unmarked vehicles resembling law enforcement vehicles navigating through residential streets. Voices in the video are heard encouraging recording of the incident and identifying the vehicles as belonging to ICE.

The advocacy group claimed that ICE arrested 48 individuals in Danbury over three days, with 22 of those arrests occurring on the second day of the school year.

“We have eyewitness accounts of ICE circling around bus stops as kids were getting off the bus home from school. Kids were afraid to get off the bus and to walk home. Families are scared to walk their children to school and are keeping their home,” wrote the group.

Danbury, located in western Connecticut, has a large immigrant community. Approximately 35 percent of its residents were born outside the United States, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2020-2024.