Burlington ICE Facility in the News
A timeline of news coverage about the Burlington ICE facility and related protests and advocacy.
2026
March 25, 2026
Pressley denounces poor conditions after visit to ICE Field Office in Burlington (Bay State Banner) — Rep. Ayanna Pressley visited the Burlington ICE facility and reaffirmed her position that ICE should be defunded and abolished. She described "deeply alarming" conditions including a senior denied medication and a young woman unable to shower or eat for days.
March 24, 2026
Lori Trahan pushes Republicans for partial shutdown deal after visiting Burlington ICE facility (Lowell Sun) — Rep. Lori Trahan visited the Burlington ICE facility for the first time since the immigration crackdown began, touring the facility for 90 minutes and calling for continued accountability for ICE's actions.
March 19, 2026
In Burlington, residents protest ICE headquarters, a landlord, a parking lot and a cafe (WBUR) — Protesters target not just ICE, but also the building's landlord Robert Murray (who also owns Cafe Escadrille) and adjacent property owners whose parking lots are being used to store over 100 new ICE SUVs.
March 11, 2026
Lexington Chamber of Commerce moves fundraiser location due to ICE ties (Lexington Observer) — The Lexington Chamber of Commerce cancelled its planned fundraiser at Cafe Escadrille after learning the restaurant's owner also owns the building housing ICE, moving the event to the Inn at Hastings Park instead.
March 12, 2026
Union Church group adds voice to Burlington ICE detention center protests (Newton Beacon) — Members of Union Church in Waban join the weekly Wednesday protests at the Burlington ICE facility, with speakers calling on landlord Robert Murray to refuse to renew ICE's lease when it expires in 2028.
March 8, 2026
Dozens of new vehicles stored near Burlington ICE facility (Lowell Sun) — Activists discovered over 100 brand new, unregistered SUVs parked in a garage near the ICE facility, raising fears of an impending immigration enforcement surge in Massachusetts similar to recent operations in Minnesota and Maine.
February 19, 2026
Pregnant woman hospitalized in Boston after ICE detainment (Boston 25) — Djeniffer Ribeiro-Semedo, a six-months pregnant Brockton woman, was hospitalized after three days at the Burlington ICE facility where she slept on concrete benches and was fed only mac and cheese. She was transported to Beth Israel after complaining of severe abdominal pain.
February 9, 2026
'Lawless': Mass. Congresswoman denied entry to Burlington ICE facility (GBH) — Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the House, was denied entry to the Burlington ICE facility during an unannounced oversight visit. Clark called ICE's behavior "lawless" and vowed to return after seeking a court order expansion.
February 3, 2026
Ed Markey issues another letter demanding answers about conditions in Burlington ICE office (Lowell Sun) — Sen. Ed Markey sent a follow-up letter to ICE officials with 14 questions about conditions inside the Burlington facility, expressing concerns about potential overcrowding if enforcement surges continue.
2025
December 1, 2025
Moulton says 'inhumane' conditions persist for detainees at ICE Burlington office (WBUR) — Rep. Seth Moulton's second visit to the facility found that conditions remain inadequate: still no beds or mattress pads, with detainees sleeping on concrete floors.
October 7, 2025
Burlington Town Meeting votes to condemn ICE center (GBH) — Burlington Town Meeting members overwhelmingly voted to support a resolution condemning the "inhuman treatment of detainees" at the ICE facility and urging ICE to cease overnight detentions. The resolution also demands ICE allow local authorities access to inspect the facility for zoning compliance.
September 17, 2025
Hundreds were detained in ICE's Burlington office for multiple days, data shows (WBUR) — WBUR analysis of deportation data revealed over 2,700 people were booked into Burlington between January and July 2025, with over 1,000 held for multiple days despite ICE's admission the facility isn't designed for extended detention. One person was held for 20 days.
July 18, 2025
Inside the Burlington office ICE has used to detain immigrants (WBUR) — An in-depth look at the Burlington facility through the experience of Kary Diaz Martinez, who spent nine days in a cramped, freezing holding room with 16 other women. She describes unsanitary conditions, inadequate food, and no access to showers. After her release, her biggest fear now is ending up back in custody in Burlington. Floor plans of the office-building-cum-prison included.
June 26, 2025
Mass. lawmakers press ICE for answers on use of Burlington office for detainees (WBUR) — The entire Massachusetts congressional delegation, led by Sens. Warren and Markey, sent a letter to ICE demanding answers about conditions at the Burlington facility. They noted the office "was never zoned to detain individuals overnight" and that ICE policy limits field office detention to 12 hours. The letter included 15 detailed questions about occupancy, medical services, and whether the facility complies with federal standards.
June 24, 2025
Burlington Select Board requests inspection of ICE facility amid reports of poor conditions (Lowell Sun) — The Burlington Select Board issued a formal demand for inspection of the ICE facility, citing concerns that its use as a detention center may violate local zoning codes. Residents spoke at a meeting describing the facility as "among the worst and most inhumane" in the country.
June 11, 2025
Women in ICE's Burlington office subject to 'inhumane' and unsanitary conditions, lawyers say (WBUR) — Women detained at the facility faced particularly harsh conditions, including being denied menstrual products. One pregnant woman was held overnight with only an apple and oatmeal to eat. Reps. Moulton and Auchincloss characterized conditions as worse than they'd experienced in the Marines.
June 5, 2025
ICE holding immigrants in 'abysmal' conditions at Burlington office building, lawyers say (WBUR) — Lawyers first reported that detainees at the Burlington facility were being held for days in "abysmal" and "unsanitary" conditions, sleeping on concrete floors with mylar blankets, lacking access to showers, and sharing toilets without privacy. Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, a Milford high school teen, was held for six days.