On Saturday afternoon, May 10, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a federal immigration enforcement operation in Acton, Massachusetts. Several residents of the town witnessed what happened on Great Road (Route 2A). However, the community didn’t know who had been taken away by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until Wednesday, May 14.
According to a GoFundMe page, Katie Orellana said, “I’m reaching out with a heavy heart. My boyfriend, Willian Leon-Portillo, along with his family members, Jose Leon-Portillo and Ruben Leon Carrera, were unjustly detained by ICE on Saturday, May 10th. They were simply on their way to work when ICE agents—without a warrant—broke the windows of their vehicle and took them into custody. This act of injustice has left our family shocked, scared, and overwhelmed.”
She added, “We are doing everything we can to fight for their release and ensure their rights are protected. Legal support and related costs are already adding up, and we need your help. Any donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in helping us through this incredibly difficult time. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, support, and solidarity.”
On Wednesday, May 14, I emailed the ICE Office of Public Affairs (OPA) and asked why Willian Leon-Portillo, Jose Leon-Portillo, and Ruben Leon Carrera were taken away and where they were being held now. I have not received a response.
Although the identities of the three men detained by ICE wasn’t known for four days, the Acton community was alerted to the operation on Saturday afternoon.
Select Board Member Alissa Nicol was among the people who saw what took place. On May 10 at 3:34 p.m., she posted the following to the Acton, MA (Community Forum) on Facebook: “At least 9 officers with ‘CBP’ and ‘DEA’ and ‘police’ uniforms, 3 men from pickup truck (windows smashed) cuffed, 1 woman in back of another vehicle, driven away, westbound on 2A.”
She added, “At least 3 people, uniforms marked ‘police’ not ‘ICE’ with face masks, driving at least 2 black SUVs, along Great Road.” Her post included the photo below.
In an interview via email, Nicol added, “The text at the end of the post about the two vehicles was shared first when I was still at Azalea Court. I met a neighbor who was showing an apartment there. She had texted me when she saw the agents in the two vehicles apprehend a woman. She was the one who had told me ‘At least three agents, at least two vehicles.’ When I pulled into Azalea, I saw only the woman’s vehicle being driven away, with her in the back and two agents in the front.
“After speaking with my neighbor for a few minutes and calling the LUCE hotline (617-370-5023) to report the activity, I drove down Great Road (westbound), and pulled into the Post Road Carpet parking lot because there were several vehicles that had pulled over a white truck. That’s when I updated the post with more info about how many agents and trucks. I was careful not to say it was ICE without knowing for sure, and rather just provided info about what was on their uniforms.
“It has since been confirmed that this was an ICE operation. The national news is reporting that other federal agencies (CBP, DEA, FBI, etc.) have been directed by the administration to assist in immigration enforcement.”
Nicol added, “The blue vehicle that had left Azalea was at the front of the line, agent standing by the open back seat door, woman wailing inside. One man was at the back of the white truck, cuffed. The driver’s side windows had been smashed. Before all the vehicles left, I saw two other men exit the white truck and cuffed. The three men who were cuffed were put into the unmarked agency vehicles, and the white truck was parked by an agent in the Post Road Carpet lot.”
A second eyewitness is an Acton resident who wishes to remain anonymous. In a face-to-face interview, I asked, “What did you see?”
They said, “I saw a lot of cars come flying by and then pull over all at once. Men wearing bullet proof vests got out and pulled up their masks. I drove past and turned around to do some filming. There were about five unmarked vehicles.”
I asked, “Where and when did this happen?”
They replied, “On Route 2A Great Road almost in front of Elements, the massage place, at 4 p.m.”
I asked, “Who appeared to be involved?”
They answered, “I saw DEA on one person’s jacket. I never saw ICE.”
I asked, “Why did you document the event?”
They said, “I don’t know. I saw when the agents broke the windows in the truck to unlock doors and take two guys out. Nobody resisted. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is a kidnapping.”
And I asked, “How do you feel about what happened?”
They replied, “A bit scared. It felt like it was a different country.”
A third eyewitness was Amanda Eldridge. In a phone interview, she said that she saw some men wearing SWAT [Special Weapons and Tactics] vests and black masks next to unmarked SUVs [sports utility vehicles] parked on the side of the road near the McDonald’s at 55 Great Road between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m. She said, “It looked ICE like, but I wasn’t sure.”
She went shopping for a Mother’s Day gift at Tayla Nails on Great Road. Then, as she was pulling out of the plaza sometime between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m., she saw the same cars driving fast down Great Road with their lights on.
As Eldridge drove down Great Road towards the Brookside Shops plaza, where Trader Joe’s and Staples are located, she saw vehicles pulled over and masked men handcuff someone. “All but one man had masks, and they had ‘Police’ on their jackets. I didn’t hear anything,” she added.
But she did take a couple of quick photos of what she had seen.
Eldridge said, “When I got home, I called the police station. As soon as I started describing what I’d seen, the dispatcher told me that ICE is in Acton.”
At that point, she notified her brother, State Senator Jamie Eldridge. He posted her photos on Facebook, with permission.
On May 10 at 6:48 p.m., Senator Eldridge posted this to his Facebook account: “Earlier today, I was contacted by a few constituents and advocates who are trusted sources that ICE agents were in Acton today. From the information, pictures, and videos I was sent, ICE arrested people living in one of the Great Road apartments, and arrested people driving in their car near Trader Joe’s. I immediately reached out to Acton Police Chief Cogan, who assured me Acton police were not involved, but as is customary, the Acton police department was informed ICE was in Acton.
“I have no other information at this time about the people detained, or about ICE’s actions in Acton, but my staff and I are here to try to connect the immigrants arrested with immigration lawyers. To the general public, I want to be absolutely clear that this is what ICE is doing, carrying out President Trump’s executive order to deport all undocumented immigrants. And this is now common practice, as another Marlborough constituent of mine was arrested by ICE this week.
“I cannot emphasize enough that these tactics are harming the public safety of every community, as well as scaring legally authorized immigrants in the community as well, including today those living on Great Road in Acton. Thank you to everyone who reached out with your concerns and information.”
His post included the following photo:
On Monday, May 12, I asked Senator Eldridge via email, “What do we know about what happened on Saturday?”
He said, “From people driving on Great Road at the time, and tenants who live in some of the Great Road apartments, where their fellow tenants were arrested by ICE.”
I asked, “When and how did you learn about the event?”
Senator Eldridge answered, “Saturday afternoon, through LUCEMass.org, which came to Acton to observe ICE.”
I also asked, “Do we know who was taken away?
He answered, “No, I believe it was 3-4 immigrants.”
Finally, I asked him, “Do we know who took them away, why they were taken away, or where they are now?”
Senator Eldridge answered, “Federal agents, including possibly ICE, Border Patrol agents, arrested Acton residents. No idea why they were taken away, or where they are now.”
A third eyewitness was Fran Arsenault. I asked her via email, “What do we know about what happened on Saturday?”
Arsenault answered, “What I heard before I arrived on the scene on Great Road was men wearing vests labeled DEA & US Customs and Border Control removed a woman from an apartment from Azalea Court. When I arrived on Great Road, there was a woman being held (in what I was told was her car) against her will and wailing, ‘My baby my baby’ over and over again.
“There was a young gentleman wearing a landscaping shirt, zip-tied behind a white truck with several federal agents around him. There were five or six federal agents moving between the vehicle where the woman was being held and the white truck. The federal agents were concentrating on the white vehicle and eventually smashed the windows, and they pulled another gentleman out of the truck.
“Acton police eventually arrived on the scene to keep peace among the onlookers – there were about 8-10 folks onlooking and taking videos. In addition to the vehicle that was holding the woman (which it was mentioned that it was her car which was confusing) and the white truck there were several other cars parked, and I assume they belonged to the federal agents. Cars ended up leaving one by one, State Police ended up driving by and Chief Cogan also arrived on the scene toward the end.”
I asked, “Do we know who was taken away?”
She answered, “No names have been divulged.”
I asked, “Do we know who took them away, why they were taken away, or where they are now?”
Arsenault answered, “The federal agents on the scene took them away and I was told later on [by Town staff] that they were transported to the DHS [Department of Homeland Security] ICE Boston Field Office in Burlington, MA.”
Finally, I asked, “On Monday, there were new reports on Facebook’s Acton Community Forum that ICE had returned to Acton. What should residents do if they see something?”
She replied, “The best thing for residents to do if they see something is report the siting to LUCE Hotline 617-370-5023. To learn more about them go to http://www.lucemass.org. Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is also a wonderful resource: http://www.miracoalition.org.”
In an interview via email, I also asked Lorena Betts of the Peacemakers Network, “What do we know about what happened on Saturday?”
She answered, “What makes this the most scary is how little we are able to find out about these disappearances.
“We know from videos shared within the community that at least one individual was taken by masked ICE agents on Great Road. In addition, three more community members were taken from a nearby condominium complex. For the safety of the families involved, we are not naming that complex publicly. These actions follow a disturbing pattern: agents wearing masks, using unmarked vehicles, and carrying out kidnappings without presenting warrants. This isn’t speculation. We’ve seen it in places like Worcester, and now it’s happening in our community. Imagine masked individuals arriving at your home and taking someone without explanation. That should never be allowed.”
I asked Betts, “Do we know who was taken, who took them, why they were taken, or where they are now?”
She answered, “We don’t know the individuals personally, but I have spoken with someone who knows a family member of the three people taken. We know ICE was responsible, but many details remain unclear. ICE often operates without transparency, and families are often left in the dark for days, trying to find out where their loved ones have been taken. As for why they were taken, the real issue is how. Was it humane? Was it constitutional? Did it respect due process? We’ve seen a consistent pattern that shows otherwise.”
Finally, I asked Betts, “What can we do about this situation?”
She said, “We need to stay organized, speak out, and demand accountability. That includes pressuring local leaders to confront ICE’s tactics, building rapid response networks, and providing legal and emotional support for affected families. We also need to push for stronger legal protections that make sure this kind of treatment doesn’t go unchecked. This is not just about immigration status. It’s about human rights, constitutional rights, and the kind of community we want to live in.”
Town Manager John Mangiaratti sent a further comment to the Acton Exchange on May 14. Noting that some residents were reporting feeling scared, he wants residents to know that “the Town of Acton DEI Office is committed to ensuring that everyone who [lives in, works in, or visits] the community feels safe, respected, and valued — regardless of background or immigration status. If you experience or witness any form of bias, discrimination, or hate, please report it here: https://buff.ly/XIpUchj.” The link brings you to the Bias Incident Form for the Town of Acton.
Greg Jarboe writes on a variety of topics for the Acton Exchange. He is a former editor of the Acton Minuteman and a former chair of the Acton Select Board, and a current member of the Acton Finance Committee, Public Works Facility Committee, and the Economic Development Committee.