ICE agents staged an approximately 40-hour stakeout in the Taskers Chance neighborhood of Frederick starting at 6 a.m. Thursday, which prompted local residents and activists to gather. On Friday night—around 9:30 p.m.—agents advanced on a house and witnesses say they grabbed, pushed and struck protesters; several people were hospitalized. ICE left without making arrests, and local officials are demanding a full, transparent investigation while DHS issued a brief enforcement-focused statement.
ICE Stakeout in Frederick Turns Violent After 40-Hour Presence
ICE Beats Up Protesters After Taking Over Neighborhood for Days
Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents set up a stakeout in the Taskers Chance neighborhood of Frederick, Maryland, and tensions quickly escalated into a violent confrontation.
ICE told The Frederick News-Post that agents responded after a man fled a traffic stop on Thursday, establishing a surveillance presence beginning at 6 a.m. and remaining for roughly 40 hours. Protesters gathered the same day after reports that ICE was watching a specific house. Many residents said they were afraid to leave their homes; Katie Nash, vice president of the Frederick City Council, told The Baltimore Banner that agents "swarmed multiple streets."
Friday Night Clash
On Friday evening, demonstrators linked arms to form a human barrier in front of the targeted house. Around 9:30 p.m., witnesses say ICE agents advanced on the house and began grabbing and pushing people in the crowd. At least one protester was struck with a baton while headlights and emergency lights from ICE vehicles illuminated the neighborhood.
Frederick City Council president César Díaz told the Banner that ICE vehicles drove onto sidewalks, forcing protesters to move to avoid being struck; he added that Nash narrowly avoided being hit. Nash said, "I had to step back to avoid from getting hit by the car."
Aftermath And Official Response
ICE left the scene shortly afterward without making arrests. Several protesters were taken to hospital for injuries; Díaz and Nash confirmed that people were hurt in the clash. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson issued a brief statement to WUSA, saying:
"For operation security and the safety of our personnel, we will not disclose or discuss information related to potential investigations. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S. We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you."
The DHS statement did not clarify why ICE conducted the stakeout or why agents used force against protesters. Local advocates and officials have called for a full, transparent investigation into the operation and the actions of agents on scene.
Tatiana Santos of Indivisible Frederick Forward, who attended the protest, said: "People were legitimately scared and pretty much terrorized by ICE for two full days before things escalated on Friday night. If you didn't take anybody into custody, why did you even show up?"
Representative April McClain Delaney (D), whose district includes Frederick, described the reports as "especially disturbing," urging immediate answers and a transparent investigation and saying families should not feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods.
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