LYNN — Hundreds of protesters gathered in the commons to advocate for due process and fair treatment of immigrants after the detainment of resident Alejandro Reyes.
Reyes was detained and arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last Wednesday at approximately 7:40 a.m. on Linwood Road.
He is a resident of Lynn with no criminal record from Honduras.
Reyes recounted his encounter with ICE.
He said he was stopped by what he thought was the police. He was asked to get out of his vehicle, and he responded, once he realized that it was ICE officials, “I have my Green Card in my wallet.” He then reached into his jeans to show them his green card.
ICE officials then said, “He is reaching for a gun.” This is when five officers pulled him and his brother, who was driving the vehicle, onto the sidewalk and knelt on their necks.
Reyes said they broke his nose and pushed his face into the pavement.
“I have a green card, please check my wallet,” he said he yelled to the officers.
He said he was then loaded into a vehicle and taken to Pine Grove Cemetery on Boston Street in Lynn, where officers took off their vests equipped with a camera, again dragged him out of the vehicle, and began beating him.
Reyes said at the cemetery they knelt on his neck again and said “You like this, I bet you like this mother[expletive].”
Reyes said he then pleaded with the officers to check his wallet for a green card.
Once the officers conceded to his request, Reyes said the officers said, “This guy has a green card, we have a big problem now.”
At this time, Reyes said one of the officers took a phone call from who he assumed was the officer’s superior. The superior asked why the arrests had not been logged and why they were not taken to the Burlington detention center yet.
Reyes said the officer responded that it was because there was a lot of traffic.
Reyes said he spent one night in a cell in Plymouth before being heard by a judge. At his hearing, the judge apologized for his detainment and released him.
“I cried and cried, the judge told me she was sorry,” he said.
Reyes said his brother is still detained. He added that none of his belongings had been released yet, and when he went to pick them up, the Center “did not know where they were.”
“If they did this to me, I can’t imagine what they are doing to everyone else,” he said.
Reyes said he wants his community to “raise their voices.”
His wife, Jaheirie Collazo, said she is relieved Reyes was released.
“I feel happy that we can be a family again,” she said.
His son, Xav Reyes, said his cousin called him while he was at school to tell him that his father was detained.
“I was so frustrated, I started to cry. I did not know what to do,” he said.
More than 500 people came to the Lynn Commons to show support for Reyes and denounce the ICE detainments.
In attendance included city officials such as Mayor Jared C. Nicholson, Councilor-at-Large Nicole McClain, and state Rep. Sean Reid.
Lynn United for Change member Suzanne Hode said, “What is happening is terrible; immigrants should be welcomed here.”
“What is happening is horrifying,” she said. “There should be a path to citizenship, and this violence should be held accountable.”
Charley Clack said he was at the protest because “fear is strongest when we are alone and isolated. Coming out here, we break out of the fear ICE is causing our community.”
Clark added, “We refuse to bow to those who want us to be alone and afraid. We are stronger together.”
Ruby Rosales said she was at the protest to “speak up for the people who can’t.”
Edwin Rosales said he was at the protest because his parents immigrated to the United States to give his family better opportunities.
Danissa Lopez said, “There is a right way to do things, and this is not it. ICE is not behaving very professionally. We are here supporting immigrants and their families.”
Nicolas Blaisdell said he was protesting against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics.
“Lynn is a united community. Lynn has a rich immigrant history, and we always have — since the beginning.”
Jesenia Flores said she showed up to support the rights of immigrants. “Everyone is allowed to be here no matter their background,” she said.
Arianna Dleon said her parents immigrated to the United States to give her and her siblings a better life. “I am here to support them,” she said
Edwin Robles said he was protesting to “support my community and my people.”
“We don’t want ICE here,” he said.
Jan McLaughlin said she wants the community to know “we are here for them.”
Lydia King said, “What’s happening is we are slowly seeing fascism creep into our community.
“It is important that we all show up in masses for our community. They are trying to separate us, divide our families, separate the working class,” King said. “We have to come out together and show a united front.”
Lynn’s Poet Laureate Michelle Richardson, who was also a speaker at the protest, said, “No one has the right to tear a family apart.”
Nicholson said, “What is happening is wrong.”
He added that gathering together in a peaceful protest is the right way to respond to what has happened in the community.
The crowd marched across the Lynn Commons chanting sayings such as, “Tell them what democracy looks like,” and “No one is illegal on stolen land,” and “ICE melts under resistance.”
