Arrests at School Bus Stops Spark Concerns

Federal immigration agents have reportedly been arresting parents at school bus stops in Danbury, Connecticut, which is home to a significant immigrant community. This incident has raised considerable concern among local residents and officials.

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democratic representative, highlighted the situation in a post, stating, “This morning in Danbury, ICE was arresting parents at school bus stops.” He pointed out the distressing timing of these actions, explaining, “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.” Senator Murphy announced he was traveling to Danbury to address the issue.

Currently, there is no direct evidence supporting the claim that immigration agents strategically waited for children to board buses before executing arrests. Authorities from Newsweek have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for statements regarding these allegations.

Amid rising concerns, the immigrant advocacy group Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants shared a video on Facebook that was reportedly recorded from inside a school bus during an ICE operation. The footage reveals several unmarked vehicles moving through residential areas, and voices on the bus urge viewers to capture the events on camera, identifying the vehicles as belonging to ICE.

The advocacy group also reported that ICE detained 48 individuals in Danbury over a span of three days, with 22 arrests occurring on the second day of the local school year. Describing the situation, they wrote, “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.”

Danbury, located in western Connecticut, has a substantial immigrant population, with approximately 35% of its residents being foreign-born according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau for the period spanning 2020-2024.