BURLINGTON, Mass. — Ongoing protests outside of the ICE facility in Burlington have been requiring significant public safety resources that could typically be used elsewhere, according to the police chief.
Nine police officers had to be pulled from other assignments to respond to a recent protest outside the ICE facility on District Avenue in Burlington on Tuesday.
Police responded to the building for reports that around 40 people were blocking the entrance.
Burlington Police Chief Thomas Browne said 11 people were arrested for civil disobedience when they refused to move from the entrance.
Browne said he supports peaceful protests, but when it escalates, officers have to react.
“When I have to pull school resource officers out of the schools, that’s dangerous, and I don’t want to have to do that,” Browne explained.
A majority of the protestors arrested on Tuesday were not from Massachusetts.
Browne said that since April of last year, 18 people have been arrested outside of the facility.
“I want to make it very clear that I absolutely respect anybody’s right to go down and peacefully protest,” Browne continued. “I’m not here to second guess or make judgements on anybody’s right to peacefully protest, nor am I hear to comment or question the federal government’s operations.”
The Burlington Police Department said they’ve been in constant contact with protest organizers from around the area since demonstrations began around a year ago.
The 11 people arrested on Tuesday will face trespassing and disturbing-the-peace charges.
A recent protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Burlington, Massachusetts, forced officers to be redirected from other public safety duties, highlighting the ongoing strain such demonstrations have placed on local resources, Burlington Police Chief Thomas Browne said.
Officers responded Tuesday morning to the facility at 1000 District Avenue after receiving reports that about 40 protesters were blocking the entrance. Authorities said officers asked the group to leave, and while most complied, 11 people refused and were arrested.
According to Browne, the protest required nine officers to be pulled from other assignments. Similar demonstrations have been occurring at the site for months.
Video from a protest about a week and a half earlier shows officers managing crowds outside the facility. Browne said the repeated responses require significant public safety resources that would normally be used elsewhere in the community.
“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,” Browne said in a statement.
It remains unclear how many times police have responded to protests at the site since last year or how many total arrests have been made.
Browne also emphasized the department’s approach to balancing civil liberties and enforcement.
“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,” he said.
Police said the 11 people arrested on Tuesday were participating in an act of civil disobedience and are expected to face trespassing and disturbing the peace charges.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW