Connecticut officials have confirmed the presence of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at Bradley International Airport. Gov. Ned Lamont and his top public safety official, Ronnell Higgins, acknowledged the presence of ICE agents, but details about their activities and long-range plans are scarce.

Immigration Enforcement at Bradley Airport

Higgins stated that ICE officially notified the state of its presence, but did not share details on their plans. The federal agency does not routinely notify state police of arrests at the airport, a state-owned facility with federal oversight. Lamont expressed concerns about the potential impact on individuals, saying, ‘Leave us alone. Leave these people alone… These are maybe people who want to go for a long weekend and see the aunt in Chicago, instead of getting picked up by ICE, the TSA at Bradley, maybe sent away to a detention facility.’

State authorities could not confirm if anyone was arrested and detained at the airport by ICE. According to TRAC, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, more than 65,000 people were in immigration detention nationally as of July 11, with 70% being individuals without criminal convictions.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.