An 18-year-old Lynn high school student, Zeneyda Barrera, is currently held at Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine, after an altercation with her 12-year-old brother over a cellphone, led to her unexpected apprehension by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Barrera, who is said to work at Chipotle and came to the US from Nicaragua two years ago, was in the process of applying for asylum, along with her said to be family, as reported by The Boston Globe. Her mother, Zeneyda Hernandez-Molina, described the incident as a typical sibling dispute that resulted in a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery.
While local police confirmed that there were no injuries to the boy, Barrera's detention by federal authorities has stirred questions and concerns. Her attorney, Patrick Callahan, highlighted the peculiar circumstances surrounding her detainment. "This is very unusual that a person, without being convicted, with no other criminal history, with legal status, was to be taken into custody," Callahan told The Boston Globe. He was particularly startled given that Barrera was already in asylum proceedings, which usually confers temporary permission to be in the U.S.
Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson has voiced his trepidation regarding the implications of ICE's intervention in this case, the worst fears of the local community seem to have been realized. "We have been told that ICE would be targeting violent offenders whose presence puts our community at risk. Based on what we have learned so far, that is not what is happening in this case," Nicholson stated in comments obtained by MassLive. There is also a significant concern over the possibility of a chilling effect on local policing and community trust in law enforcement due to these actions.
According to MassLive, Barrera was apprehended before her arraignment at Lynn District Court, and subsequent to the Lynn judge ordering her release. This timing adds another layer of complexity to the case. ICE has not immediately responded to requests for comments.
Meanwhile, Barrera's family is facing an agonizing wait, as her mother desperately tries to piece together the unfolding events and her brother grapples with the fear of his own potential deportation. "He [my son] cries for his sister...he's worried that he will get deported. He says, ‘They got my sister, they're going to get us, too,'" Hernandez-Molina expressed in a heart-rending interview with The Boston Globe.
