ICE arrests illegal immigrant in Massachusetts accused of stabbing coworker with scissors, trash bin attack

DHS says the crowd shouted obscenities at the ICE agents, saying that they were "going to kill you and your kids."

Witnesses at the scene painted a different picture

...Fitchburg police officers remained positioned between the agents and the crowds, repeatedly telling concerned neighbors that they could not interfere in the arrest.

...Ojeda-Montoya was taken into custody around 9 a.m. and transported to Cumberland County Jail in Scarborough, Maine, according to a DHS spokesperson. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings

"The role of the Fitchburg Police Department in this type of situation is to keep the peace. Keeping the peace includes making sure both the public as a whole as well as the federal law enforcement agents are safe," police said. "The Fitchburg Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws, nor do we interfere with the lawful actions of other law enforcement agencies."

Fitchburg's mayor, Sam Squailia, released a lengthy statement on Friday, saying in part:

"As outlined in the Fitchburg Police Department’s press release, our officers were called after the stop had already escalated. These unannounced federal actions place our local officers in an impossible situation. When federal agents report they are 'in danger,' our officers are obligated to respond. Our officers do not participate in federal immigration enforcement, they respond to keep the peace, to prevent escalation, and to protect the safety of everyone on scene. Our officers’ have a limited role: scene safety, de-escalation, traffic control, and people’s rights protection. "​