Last Thursday morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pulled over a driver on Corinth Street in Roslindale Square, detained said driver, and left the car running on the street.

Local Real Estate Agent Josh Muncey reported moving the still-running vehicle left by ICE after the detainment. Liberty, Unity, Community and Esperanza (LUCE) verified observers were on scene and recorded the arrest.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Boston Office spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Boston 25 on Thursday that the man in question was Jose Perez-Antonio, whom the office called “a serial criminal illegal alien. His criminal charges include trafficking cocaine and fentanyl and identity theft.”

“ICE did NOT abduct anyone. We did arrest a criminal that this sanctuary politician and his policies RELEASED from their jails to terrorize more innocent Americans.”

The name does not bring up any specific past convictions or reports of release. There are several people with the name Jose Perez and criminal convictions, but none that match those three specific crimes, including Brockton’s Jose Perez – https://tinyurl.com/2wxvbute – or a Lynn Jose Perez – https://tinyurl.com/mps27pvx – or another Jose Perez from Brockton, Jose Perez Felix – https://tinyurl.com/5ct2z84s

It’s important to note that none of these cases directly line up with DHS’ listed crimes. It should also be noted that in all of these cases, federal officers and courts handled the arrests and prosecution.

No other information has been released regarding the person ICE picked up last week as of the date of publication.

The next night, about 200 Roslindale residents gathered in the Square for an impromptu rally. The Bulletin was not informed in time to cover the event, but many of the organizers were at the West Roxbury/Roslindale Progressives Citizens Bank Protest the next day, which The Bulletin did cover.

The snow was falling, heavy at times, but that didn’t seem to bother the 60 or so residents who came out to protest Citizens Bank’s financing of the private companies CoreCivic and the GEO Group that are building private prisons and ICE detention facilities across the country.

The protest on Saturday centered around the Citizens Bank location next to the Roslindale MBTA Commuter Rail Station.

“A lot of these folks were out here last night for the guy who was abducted by ICE, and a lot of people are concerned that ICE is in our neighborhood now,” said WR/Ros Progressives organizer Ruth Slater. “This bank is supporting financing for the people building the ICE detention centers. I think a lot of people are just getting around to realizing that and changing to a bank that doesn’t support that kind of activity.”

Slater said the atmosphere was hopeful during the protest.

“I think people are happy to be able to be doing something,” she said. “It’s just enough that you can feel that there is going to be a result from what you’re doing. And we’re all fighting for democracy and other big umbrella things, but we could make this change in our neighborhood.People are happy to be out here, it’s not that cold, it’s a nice snowy day here in Boston. I think people feel better about being able to do something and not just sitting at home doomscrolling. Because that’s how I feel.”

Slater said the rally will return to this Citizens Bank location in the Square this coming Saturday and then other Citizens locations throughout the city.

One resident said they came out because they felt they needed to shed a light on the causes of instability and displacement leading to the immigration to the U.S. in the first place.

“The United States creates the conditions for displacement of people around the world, or at least contributes to it,” they said. “And then we want to say it’s illegal for those displaced peoples to come here? And it’s actually not a crime to enter the United States without documentation.”

It is a civil infraction, not a criminal one.

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The resident added that they hope this singular instance in Roslindale is connected to similar such acts across the country, both now and in the United States’ history. They said the idea is to bring disparate groups together to connect and unite and organize for a better future.

“We have to understand the kidnapping of people by ICE is related to a long history of displacement of people in this country,” they said. “This country was founded on the displacement of Native American peoples and the enslavement of African peoples, and so we have to connect to a broader history. When we can connect with different struggles and groups of people who are protesting across the United States now, for decades, we expand our reach, right? So the kidnapping of people who may or may not be immigrants is connected to anti-Black violence in the United States, anti-trans violence, anti-Latino violence and all of those are connected. At the end of the day, the quote is true: evil triumphs when good people do nothing.”

Roslindale IS for Everyone (RISE) organizer and LUCE-verified observer Mark Smith said several group will be hosting a literature drop in March, where residents will go door-to-door with relevant information regarding their rights concerning ICE detentions and interactions.

“LUCE, RISE, Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale, we all pulled together for a big community meeting, with a more than a few churches involved, and we decided do a neighborhood-wide literature drop on March 7,” he said. “We’re going to have more than 100 volunteers with flyers going door-to-door with ICE-out information, where food pantries are, legal support and more.”

Smith said residents interested in volunteering can reach out to Progressive West Roxbury – https://tinyurl.com/55m3cfdp

Residents Loie Hayes, Susan Moii and Julie Ogletree all came out wearing buttons saying “Old Dykes Against Ice.”

“We’re here because ICE picked up somebody in Roslindale and Citizens is funding ICE detention centers, and we got to say no, that’s not acceptable in our community!” said Hayes.

“It came home,” said Moii. “We have to do more.”

“Standing outside is one thing, but we’ve got to do more,” said Ogletree. “Organize, not just mobilize.”

“Like they’re doing in Minneapolis,” said Moii. “Knock them back.”

Resident Jerry Mogul said he came out because Citizens has been on his radar for a while.

“I know about their underwriting loans to the two major prison companies in the U.S., it was kind of under the radar and I’m glad that folks are taking it up as a campaign,” he said. “I hope it spreads to other branches in Boston and the United States… Hopefully Citizens will back down.”