Federal Immigration Agents Allegedly Arrest Parents at School Bus Stops in Connecticut

Federal immigration agents have been reported to arrest parents at school bus stops in Danbury, Connecticut, a town known for its significant immigrant community, according to Democratic Senator Chris Murphy.

This morning in Danbury, ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops, Murphy wrote in a post on X. 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.

Murphy has yet to provide specific evidence backing the claim that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents intentionally waited for children to board buses before initiating arrests. Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE for comment regarding these accusations.

These allegations coincide with a video shared by the immigrant advocacy group, Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants, on Facebook. The footage appears to be captured from within a school bus during an immigration enforcement operation in Danbury.

The video, taken from inside a moving school bus, seemingly illustrates unmarked vehicles traversing residential areas and intersections. Voices on the bus prompt viewers to record the events, identifying the vehicles as belonging to ICE.

The advocacy group claimed that ICE detained 48 individuals in Danbury over a span of three days this week, including 22 arrests occurring on the second day of the local school year.

Community Witness Accounts

Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants reported eyewitness accounts of ICE vehicles circling bus stops as children returned home from school. The group described children as fearful to disembark the bus, with families too scared to accompany their children to and from school.

Danbury, situated in western Connecticut, has a substantial immigrant population, with approximately 35 percent of residents born outside the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024.