Newton Residents Urge Stronger Anti-ICE Measures in Safety and Transportation Public Forum

Alena Laurent • April 19, 2026

Newton’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee held a public discussion on Wednesday night to review the possible actions should Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enter the city.

How Newton Indivisible Fights the “Rise in Authoritarianism”

Nathan Yarnall • April 19, 2026

Every Saturday at noon—rain or shine, snow or hail, in frigid cold or blistering heat—a crowd forms at the corner of Beacon and Centre streets in Newton Centre, waving signs and cheering to passing cars. The weekly rituals, known as “Saturday Standouts,” are the heartbeat of Newton Indivisible, a grassroots activist group that has grown from a handful of neighbors meeting in a church hall to a mailing list of over 1,200 members in about 18 months. 

Public Safety and Transportation Reviews Adequacy of Newton Anti-ICE Protections

Leon Gopaul • March 22, 2026

Newton’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee met Wednesday to review response options to possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation within Newton, with many citizens and councilors urging the city to increase citizens' protections against federal immigration enforcement. 

Students Gather in Anti-ICE Protest Outside of St. Ignatius

Nikita Osadchiy and Danica Bergen • February 23, 2026

Boston College students gathered across from St. Ignatius Church on Saturday evening to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-perpetrated violence and call for future political action. “We...

Newton Resident Detained By ICE Before Hearing For Performing Illegal Eye Surgery

Grace Duffy • February 22, 2026

Newton resident Dingrui Wang was detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) ahead of her hearing at the Suffolk Superior Court on charges related to falsely identifying herself as a plastic surgeon and performing an illegal eyelid surgery. 

Civil Discourse: Too Little, Too Late

Helen Nguyen and Aidan Quealy • February 22, 2026

This is the first installment of Civil Discourse, a column in which columnists Helen Nguyen and Aidan Quealy share their perspectives on a political story or event covered by The Heights. This first column is a response to “UGBC Releases Statement Addressing ICE After Months of Pressure.”

FACES Hosts Vigil To Honor Victims of ICE Violence

Willy Connors • February 15, 2026

FACES Council, Boston College’s student-run anti-racism organization, held a vigil to honor victims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across the nation on Friday afternoon.

UGBC Releases Statement Addressing ICE After Months of Pressure

Danica Bergen • February 13, 2026

UGBC affirmed its solidarity with immigrant and international students amid “violent behavior” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a statement Thursday morning that followed months of student pressure.

Mayor Laredo Signs Executive Order Limiting Newton’s Cooperation With Federal Immigration Enforcement

Riley Del Sesto • February 11, 2026

In his first executive act, Newton Mayor Marc Laredo signed an order on Feb. 5 limiting local government cooperation with federal enforcement, joining the effort of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and other leaders from communities across Greater Boston.

Massachusetts Lawmakers Introduce PROTECT Act To Limit Local Cooperation With ICE

Grace Duffy • February 8, 2026

Newton and state lawmakers are rallying behind the PROTECT Act, a new bill aimed at limiting local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities, to solidify statewide constitutional safeguards.

Timothy Cohoon Appointed Newton Police Chief, Vows To Prioritize Trust Amid ICE Concerns

Alison Palmieri • February 5, 2026

Newton’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee appointed Timothy Cohoon, former chief of the Braintree Police Department, as Newton’s next police chief on Wednesday.

Newton Joins Amicus Brief Blocking Trump’s Mass Deportation Drive in Minnesota

Riley Del Sesto • January 30, 2026

The City of Newton signed on to an amicus curiae brief urging that President Donald Trump’s Operation Metro Surge, the initiative aimed at deporting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, violates the Constitution.