Markey Again Demands Answers About Abysmal Conditions of ICE Field Office in Burlington, MA

Markey has not received a response to his Dec. 17 letter to ICE Boston Acting Field Director

Letter Text (PDF)

Boston (January 31, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Acting Field Office Director David Wesling, demanding answers about conditions at the ICE field office in Burlington, Massachusetts, and the conduct of ICE agents in the Commonwealth. In December, Senator Markey visited the Burlington field office and witnessed the inhumane conditions of the facility, including detainees' lack of access to medical attention, showers, and counsel prior to transfer. After his visit, Senator Markey wrote to Acting Director Wesling on December 17, raising concerns about the cruel conditions at the Burlington field office. Senator Markey has not yet received a response to his December 17 letter.

In the weeks since Senator Markey's visit, ICE officers have drastically escalated their use of force and have been operating with increased impunity. On January 7, a masked ICE officer shot and murdered a 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during a surge in immigration enforcement in the city. Days later, on January 24, a Customs and Border Protection officer and Border Patrol agent murdered another 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, Alex Jeffrey Pretti. Against this national backdrop, Senator Markey writes again to request critical information about ICE's activities in Massachusetts.

In the letter, Senator Markey wrote, "The Administration's crackdown in the Twin Cities has been unprecedented in scope and severity, earning the strong rebuke of state and local leaders and law enforcement officials. The impunity with which masked federal agents shot and killed Good and Pretti has left Americans aghast at the violence this Administration is employing. The worsening national context has rattled Massachusetts residents, who have also watched ICE officers employ dangerous and aggressive tactics to execute arrests in their own backyards. In my previous letter, I asked about specific instances of excessive force by ICE officers in Massachusetts, ICE's sweeping operations, and policies regarding arrests and detentions. Given the growing calls for ICE's transparency, I request answers to my prior questions with heightened urgency."

Senator Markey continued, "Moreover, numerous reports that the Burlington field office has received a large shipment of unmarked vehicles-of the type used in immigration arrests-has sparked fears from residents about a surge of ICE activity in the Commonwealth. Those fears are well-founded given ICE's current approach in the Commonwealth. For instance, federal authorities recently admitted that the summary removal of a Babson College student to Honduras was done in violation of a court order-and although the student's removal occurred outside of Massachusetts, she was quickly processed through Burlington. Reporting also indicates that only two percent of those arrested by ICE in Massachusetts in September 2025 had violent criminal convictions, casting doubt on the Administration's claims that it is targeting the 'worst of the worst.' An influx of unmarked cars to the Burlington facility deserves explanation, including the expected use of these new vehicles and any planned escalation of enforcement activities. I remain vigilant about any ICE activity in Massachusetts that resembles operations in the Twin Cities; such an approach would only sow fear, erode trust, and provoke tensions in our communities."

Senator Markey requests answers by February 13, 2026, to questions including:

1. How many individuals has the ICE field office in Burlington process since January 2025?
2. Is every individual held at the Burlington facility properly recorded in the Online Detainee Locator System?
3. Has the ICE field office in Burlington detained individuals in vulnerable groups overnight, including minors, seniors, pregnant or nursing women, or disabled individuals?
4. What is the process by which detainees can request medical care?
5. I understand from my visit that there is one shower in the facility. Does ICE allow detainees to use this shower if held overnight?
6. What is the field office's practice regarding access to drinking water?
7. What is the field office's position regarding the right to counsel for individuals processed and/or detained at the facility?
8. Does the field office currently allow family members and members of the clergy to meet with detainees? If not, will it change its policy to do so?
9. What steps is the field office taking to ensure that ICE agents are not engaging in excessive use of force when conducting enforcement operations?
10. Since January 2025, how many immigration enforcement actions have taken place near protected, or sensitive, locations in the Commonwealth, including at schools, places of worship, courtrooms, hospitals, etc.?
11. Since January 2025, how many minors (i.e., individuals under the age of eighteen) has ICE arrested in Massachusetts?
12. What guidance have you or your office provided ICE agents regarding how to identify themselves during enforcement operations? Will you commit to instructing your agents not to use masks or other face covering during enforcement actions?
13. Has the Burlington facility recently received a new delivery of unmarked cars? If so, how many vehicles were delivered to the facility? What is the intended use of these vehicles?
14. Does the ICE field office expect an increase in the number of personnel in the following months? Has the field office received any directives of a surge in enforcement activity?

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