ALERT: ICE Arrests Parents at School Bus Stops

What are Danbury officials reporting about the ICE arrests?

Jason Nova, deputy chief of staff for Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves’ office, said that witnesses reported seeing ICE agents detaining parents near bus stops. According to Nova, the agents allegedly waited for minors to board the vehicle before arresting the adults.

Senator Murphy wrote on social media platform X that ICE acted in a manner «more sinister» than usual. He claims that children would be left alone and frightened when returning home without finding their parents. Murphy did not immediately provide evidence that agents deliberately waited for buses to depart.

A video published by the organization Greater Danbury Area Unites for Immigrants shows several unmarked vehicles circulating through residential streets of the city.

What does DHS say about the Danbury operation?

A DHS spokesman denied that the agency targeted parents at a bus stop. Additionally, he characterized Murphy’s account as a baseless political narrative. According to DHS, the arrest involved Leonel Geovanny Morocho-Arteaga, a 28-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, during an operation conducted on August 26.

On the other hand, DHS stated that Morocho-Arteaga entered without legal authorization and that the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) first detained him in July 2021. The agency maintained that agents conducted the detention away from any school stop and that the man was alone when police arrested him.

According to DHS, agents found a large knife in the vehicle during the detention. The agency added that the detainee’s daughter remains in her mother’s care and that Morocho-Arteaga remains in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings.

How many people has ICE detained in Danbury this week?

A DHS spokesman denied that the agency targeted parents at a bus stop and, at the same time, characterized Murphy’s account as a baseless political narrative. Instead, according to DHS, the arrest involved Leonel Geovanny Morocho-Arteaga, a 28-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, during an operation conducted on August 26.

In that regard, DHS stated that Morocho-Arteaga entered without legal authorization and was first detained by the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) in July 2021. Similarly, the agency maintained that the detention occurred away from any school stop and that the man was alone at the time of arrest.

Additionally, according to DHS, agents found a large knife in the vehicle during the procedure. Finally, the agency added that the detainee’s daughter remains in her mother’s care, while Morocho-Arteaga continues in ICE custody pending his deportation proceedings.

How did other local and state authorities respond?

Mayor Alves wrote on Facebook that the operations left Danbury families «terrorized» and demanded transparency about who was detained and under what justification. Federal representative John Larson, a Democrat from Connecticut, also criticized the operation on X.

A video reviewed by media outlets shows an ICE agent pointing a Taser pistol at the head of a man who was on the ground with his hands restrained behind his back. The full context of that recording has not been independently confirmed.

Is this the first time ICE has acted near school bus stops?

No. Connecticut and other states have recorded similar incidents in recent months, according to local reports.

Date	Location	What Happened
January 2026	Ypsilanti, Michigan	Several parents were detained near school stops, according to the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center; ICE denied that the stops were the objective