ACLU of Connecticut faults ICE's conduct and the marshals' cooperation at the Meriden courthouse
ACLU of ConnecticutConnecticut affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, in a press statement
The ACLU of Connecticut said the events at the Meriden courthouse were intimidation, that Judicial Branch marshals let ICE operate inside without first confirming a valid, signed judicial warrant, and that the Trust Act can be outmaneuvered by agents who mask their identities and sidestep warrant verification.
“This is clear, blatant intimidation and not how law enforcement should interact with the public. We are equally alarmed that Judicial Branch marshals let ICE operate inside the courthouse without first confirming that agents possessed a valid, signed judicial warrant. Connecticut's courthouse protections are meaningless if the officials charged with upholding them wave ICE through the door and sort out the paperwork later. Wednesday’s attacks are also a warning. The Trust Act was written to protect our immigrant residents, but what happened in Meriden shows it provides bare-minimum coverage at best, which can be easily outmaneuvered by agents who mask their identities, sidestep warrant verification, and count on state officials not to push back in the moment.”
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did ICE's conduct at the Meriden, Connecticut, courthouse violate the state's TRUST Act?
On September 23, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, some wearing face coverings, entered a courthouse in Meriden, Connecticut, and took Welington Leonel Almara-Diaz into custody. Activists confronted the agents outside the courthouse entrance, asking why they were violating the state's TRUST Act, which limits immigration enforcement at Connecticut courthouses; sources disagree on whether the law's separate ban on masked law enforcement was already in effect that day. Judicial marshals moved activists away from the entrance; one woman was pepper-sprayed and another fell and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, though sources also disagree on who pushed her. The Connecticut Judicial Branch confirmed marshals had received a warrant of removal or deportation before the arrest and said it was reviewing whether state law was followed. ICE said the arrest was appropriate because Almara-Diaz had a 2023 removal order, and said judicial marshals impeded the arrest; the Judicial Branch later said its review did not support that. State officials, including Attorney General William Tong and Governor Ned Lamont's office, said ICE's conduct at the courthouse was improper. The dispute is whether ICE's conduct at the courthouse, including its use of face coverings and how the operation and marshals' cooperation with it were carried out, complied with the TRUST Act.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Press release posted on the ACLU of Connecticut website on September 25, 2026, responding to the September 23 ICE arrest at the Meriden courthouse.
Reporting
About this source
Reports Miguel Castro's Facebook post describing the arrest as racial profiling, and reproduces the Connecticut Judicial Branch's full statement to WFSB.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
ICE agents took a man into custody inside the Meriden courthouse on Wednesday, September 23, and activists confronted agents outside the courthouse, according to Patch. The Connecticut Judicial Branch said that day that its marshals had received a warrant of removal or deportation before the arrest and that it was reviewing the warrant and video of the incident.
After the quotation
The release says ACLU of Connecticut has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the chief administrator's office for the warrant ICE presented. It also calls for real enforcement mechanisms and consequences for violations of the Trust Act.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether ICE's conduct at the Meriden courthouse, including its use of face coverings, the arrest and the marshals' cooperation with it, complied with the TRUST Act. The ACLU of Connecticut called the events at the courthouse intimidation, said the Judicial Branch marshals let ICE operate without first confirming a valid, signed judicial warrant, and said agents who mask their identities and sidestep warrant verification can outmaneuver the Trust Act. That is direct criticism of the conduct under review, so we labeled it Condemned.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Connecticut Judicial Branch
More from this case
Read the full caseStafstrom calls for further protections after the Meriden arrest
“an abusive, scandal-ridden and frankly destabilizing force”Read statement
Barrett withholds a verdict on whether the Meriden arrest violated state law
“to figure out if our law was violated here”Read statement
Hands Off Connecticut calls the marshals' cooperation with ICE "an unforgivable act of collaboration"
Hands Off Connecticut
“When federal agents barged into the state courthouse in Meriden, they did not just abduct another community member, they fundamentally challenged the legitimacy of our state government. Marshals opened the doors wide for ICE while pushing the citizens out of their own courthouse. ICE went so far as to pepper spray bystanders and a marshal assaulted another, causing one to be taken from the court by ambulance to the ER. This is an unforgivable act of collaboration, for which we demand justice.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "ACLU of Connecticut faults ICE's conduct and the marshals' cooperation at the Meriden courthouse". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3307-the-aclu-of-connecticut-said-the-events-at