Burlington Police Charge 11 With Trespassing and Disturbing the Peace Outside ICE Office

BURLINGTON — The Burlington Police Department arrested and later released 11 individuals who were protesting outside of a commercial office building known to house an office of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday morning. 

On Tuesday, April 28, Burlington Police responded to the Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 1000 District Ave., after Federal Protective Services officers reported that about 40 people were blocking the administrative entrance.

After about 40 minutes of officers attempting to de-escalate the situation by asking protestors to leave the area, a majority of the protestors relocated to the free speech area outside of the building’s security envelope. 

In an act of civil disobedience, 11 protestors refused to move from in front of the entrance, prompting the Burlington Police Department to arrest those individuals. Federal Protective Services also issued a verbal no trespass order to the individuals, and will be issuing a written order at a later date. 

Working with the clerk magistrate at Woburn District Court, Burlington Police released all 11 people from custody at the Burlington Police Department. They will be issued a summons to appear in court at a later date on charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace. 

“The Burlington Police Department prides itself on strong community partnerships. We have been in regular contact with the organizers of the ongoing protests outside of the ICE office, and while it is never our initial goal to resolve a situation with an arrest, this was a clear act of civil disobedience in which the parties involved were intentionally blocking the entrance and seeking to be arrested,” said Chief Thomas Browne. “The Burlington Police Department respects the First Amendment rights of our citizens, and we are also duty-bound to uphold the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Chief Browne further reports that, “this incident pulled nine police officers from other assignments, including patrol, to ensure a peaceful and orderly resolution to what has at times been an ongoing emotionally charged protest situation at this location. Protestors have been at this facility virtually every day since April 2025, and the ongoing situation has resulted in a significant deployment of public safety resources that would otherwise be deployed elsewhere in this town of nearly 30,000 residents, which almost triples each day with the vast number of people who work within Burlington.”