If we see someone pulled from the sidewalk by masked men and forced into an unmarked car, are we witnessing a kidnapping? It may be an arrest by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Witnesses can question ICE agents but are not guaranteed answers. They are allowed to film an arrest from a distance but not to interfere. According to the ICE website, agents are not required to have a warrant, to show photo IDs, or to give their names or badge numbers. They are not required to reveal why they have accosted someone, why they are taking that person away, or where the person is being taken.

Immigrants of all ages, from children to grandparents, have been whisked away and confined at ICE detention centers — some for weeks or months. Most have no criminal record. Some are flown out of the United States without due process (a legal requirement) and imprisoned in other countries, perhaps for the rest of their lives, without hope of speaking with their families or getting help of any kind. The U.S. has acknowledged that some of these people have been arrested in error. This could happen to any of us. Clearly ICE policies and practices must be reformed.

Meanwhile, with the stakes for immigrants now unimaginably high, it’s no wonder that their families, friends, neighbors, employers — and millions of people who don’t even know them — are in the streets, holding signs, calling for justice and mercy.

Lynne Pledger

Shelburne Falls