ICE agents violently clash with Frederick protesters after 2-day stakeout in neighborhood

Federal immigration agents violently clashed with protesters in Frederick on Friday night, using their vehicles to clear sidewalks and dragging protesters from the front porch of a home they attempted to enter, city officials said.

The escalation occurred after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents staked out a small neighborhood in the Taskers Chance area for about 40 hours starting at 6 a.m. Thursday. A couple of dozen community members gathered to watch the federal agents as more of them began to pour in and spread across the few streets of the subdivision.

The stakeout confused residents and put many of them on edge, according to activists and local officials. Many residents did not leave their homes, Katie Nash, vice president of Frederick City Council, said, and there were federal agents on every street of what she described as a quiet, small neighborhood.

Encounters remained peaceful until about 9:30 p.m. Friday, when five or six vehicles lined up on Stoneybrook Court and began flashing their lights, City Council President César Díaz said. Soon after, the federal agents drove onto the sidewalk, where observers were standing and chanting, Díaz said.

“People had to move or risk getting run over,” he said, adding that Nash was nearly hit by a vehicle. “I had to step back to avoid from getting hit by the car.”

Some of the observers moved to the road, sat and linked arms, he said. In videos, they can be heard chanting, “We shall not be moved.” Others linked arms and walked to the front of the house the agents appeared to be targeting.

Nash, who said she was worried things would turn dangerous, called the Frederick Police Department and asked it to send officers to protect the observers. She said one unit responded at first and then called for backup.

Minutes later, Nash said, the federal agents pulled out batons and hit people who had formed a “human barrier” in front of the home. Although people were blocking the agents from entering, she said, none of the observers was violent or throwing things toward the federal agents.

“I understand they can’t block the house,” she said. “But they weren’t violent.”

Videos from the scene show Enforcement and Removal Operations agents, along with others in unmarked green police vests, charge the house and drag those protesters sitting in front of the home. Some agents piled on top of them. Frederick officers stood nearby, though they did not appear to engage with protesters or aid the ERO agents.

“I never thought I would see something like that,” Díaz said. “It was horrific.”

A handful of federal agents then opened the door of the home and entered, according to the videos, and a person was standing at the door.

No arrests were made and the agents left soon after the clash, both Díaz and Nash said. A couple of people were injured but it wasn’t clear how severe those injuries were, Díaz said. It did not appear anyone inside the home was detained.

The Friday night clash comes after a recent surge in immigration enforcement in the state. ICE has said its agents arrested over 1,300 people in Maryland and Virginia over a two-week period in August, though it’s not clear how many of those arrests happened in Maryland. A majority of those arrested during the August operation had no criminal history.

In an emailed statement, Jennifer Gerlock, a spokesperson for the city, said the Frederick officers “responded to maintain public safety and de-escalate the situation.” Police officers in Maryland are barred from assisting in immigration enforcement, but they also cannot interfere.

It was not immediately clear if the federal agents were executing a warrant or whom they were targeting. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials did not respond to a request for comment.

“Why all the theatrics?” Nash said. “All of it was very bizarre.”