Local News
Rumors been going around on social media this week that ICE agents been arresting nannies at parks and playgrounds all over Boston.
ICE Boston are saying that the rumors about agents going after nannies at parks and playgrounds in Boston are not true. Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg
In a rare move, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are denying the rumors about them detaining nannies at Boston playgrounds. “ICE Boston is NOT targeting nannies,” the agency said. “Rumors that say otherwise are false and put our officers and agents at risk unnecessarily.” The rumors have been spreading on social media this week, including on the r/boston sub-Reddit. One user posted on Monday about claims that ICE agents were “scooping up nannies” in raids across Back Bay, including at the Clarendon Street playground. “Any rumors about ICE officials going after nannies at playgrounds or parks are completely false and just plain ridiculous,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director at ICE Boston. “These rumors are just scare tactics and only serve to put the safety of our officers in danger.”
ICE Boston is NOT targeting nannies. Rumors to the contrary are false and unnecessarily risk the safety of our officers and agents. pic.twitter.com/QSfF0Qnvlj— ERO Boston (@EROBoston) May 13, 2025 Fears that nannies were getting detained started after similar rumors spread that ICE agents were making arrests at a playground in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post. Neighbors, elected officials, and immigration attorneys showed up at the playground when two unmarked SUVs with dark-tinted windows were seen in a nearby alley, the Post reported. It turned out that the vehicles actually belonged to the U.S. Marshals Service, who were arresting a murder suspect in a nearby apartment building. ICE officials refused to confirm to the Post whether agents had made any arrests in D.C. that week, citing safety concerns. However, Homeland Security reportedly demanded that several restaurants across D.C. prove that their workers are eligible to work in the United States, according to the Post. “It seems like ICE is at restaurants or even in neighborhoods, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going after criminals,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to NBC4 Washington. Even though it turned out that the rumors weren’t true, worries about ICE officers showing up unexpectedly are a result of community members staying on high alert. In Massachusetts, the LUCE hotline, organized by the Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts, is a resource for residents to report ICE presence in their neighborhoods. ICE Boston rarely responds to rumors or pushback after arrests, leaving that task to officials like U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, who released a statement on Wednesday afternoon criticizing community members who interfered with arrests in Massachusetts. “The interference with ICE operations around Massachusetts has been disturbing, to say the least,” Foley said. “I won’t just sit back if any public official, public safety officer, organization, or private citizen acts in a way that criminally obstructs or hinders ICE operations.” Foley confirmed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will investigate and pursue “warranted” charges against anyone impeding ICE operations. Foley’s statement came out after Worcester police arrested both a 16-year-old and a school committee candidate who tried to intervene when ICE detained the 16-year-old’s mother. The arrests have caused significant pushback in the community, including against the Worcester City Council, who moved Tuesday’s meeting to Zoom, mentioning “public safety concerns.” ICE and the Boston Police Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Wednesday evening.
