Men in tactical gear seek entry to Riverhead men’s shelter early Tuesday morning

UPDATE – 5  p.m.:  Riverhead Police said late Tuesday afternoon that they have confirmed that the action today at the men’s shelter on West Main Street was not an action by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Capt. Danielle Willsey said the action in the video circulating on social media was not immigration-related. She said she could not provide information as to which law enforcement agency was at the site of the West Main Street shelter this morning.  

“ICE does not have to tell us when they’re in the area,” Willsey said. But she has confirmed those officers were not from ICE, she said.

Original post:

Approximately 12 to 14 individuals wearing face masks, some of them armed with what appeared to be long guns, attempted to enter a men’s shelter on West Main Street early Tuesday morning, according to a video obtained by Tu Prensa Local and accounts from shelter residents.

A resident of the shelter told a RiverheadLOCAL reporter he opened the door and spoke to a man with a group seeking entry. The man wore a black vest that said “U.S. Marshal” on the front but did not identify himself or present any credentials. He told the resident they were looking for a particular individual and wanted to search inside, but would not say who they were looking for. He did not present a search warrant. The man asked to see a manager, but the resident told him there was no manager on the premises.

The video shows a group of about five masked individuals in black vests—two of them armed with long guns and one carrying a riot shield—approaching the shelter’s front door. Another group of about five can be seen walking south along the east side of the one-story building. A third group of about four appears walking along the west side of the building.

A second resident who was outside the building at the time said the group arrived in unmarked vehicles, including a black pickup truck and two sedans. He said he saw some of them walk down the driveway on the east side of the building toward the river and go behind the structure.

After they were unable to gain entry, the individuals left the area, both residents said.

The video is circulating on social media platforms.

Riverhead Police Department Chief Ed Frost said in a phone interview that his department had not been notified of any U.S. Marshals Service operation in Riverhead on Tuesday. Frost said the agency would typically contact Riverhead Police before executing a search warrant or attempting to locate a person in the town’s jurisdiction. In such cases, Riverhead police usually send a patrol unit to stand by, he said. The town has an officer assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service’s fugitive task force, Frost added.

The chief said he had seen the video on social media and that department personnel were researching the incident.

A second video circulating online shows at least three vehicles in the Riverhead Fire Department parking lot off East Avenue and Northville Turnpike early Tuesday. One of the vehicles appears to be the same black pickup truck seen later outside the West Main Street shelter. In that video, a man in a black vest, white shirt and baseball cap is seen removing what appears to be a large shield from a rear compartment of the pickup truck.

Riverhead Fire District Commissioner Ed Carey said in a phone interview that the district had not been contacted by any agency seeking to use its parking lot Tuesday.

“No one asked permission. We didn’t give any permission. We don’t know who they were,” Carey said. “And they left after a short amount of time.”

The identity of the individuals remains unconfirmed. Riverhead Police and Fire District officials said they were not notified of any law enforcement operation in the area that morning, and no agency has taken responsibility for the action.

The U.S. Marshals Service’s public information officer did not return a message left with its Central Islip office before this article was published.

There have been multiple reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on Long Island this month, including in Mastic, Bellport, Huntington, and several communities in Nassau County. The U.S. Marshals Service has assisted ICE in previous operations.

In response to a request for information about any federal actions in Riverhead on Tuesday, ICE issued a general statement.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing the President’s mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” ICE spokesperson Stephanie Pagones said in an emailed statement. “All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.”

“ICE New York City is actively investigating immigration crimes throughout the five boroughs, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley; but due to our operational tempo and the increased interest in our agency, we are unable to research and respond to every rumor or discuss specifics of routine daily operations,” the statement said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Riverhead Police said they have confirmed that the agents involved in the action at the men’s shelter early Tuesday morning were not ICE agents.

Riverhead Police Capt. Danielle Willsey said the incident depicted in the video circulating on social media was not immigration-related. She said she could not provide information as to which law enforcement agency was at the site of the West Main Street shelter this morning.  

“ICE does not have to tell us when they’re in the area,” Willsey added. But she has confirmed those officers were not from ICE, she said.

Rumors of immigration enforcement actions have been circulating in the area and on social media. Members of Riverhead’s Latino community are frightened, regardless of their immigration status, said Noemi Sanchez, regional coordinator of Rural and Migrant Ministries.

“Some people are staying home from work and keeping their children home from school,” Sanchez said. “They are afraid of getting caught up in an ICE action unrelated to them and being detained,” whether they have valid visas, green cards or even U.S. citizenship.

“There is a climate of fear, and every time they see people in uniforms, they get alarmed,” Sanchez said.

“The way they act is not like police. We want to trust people, trust the police, but we have to see their faces,” she said, referring to the practice of ICE agents wearing face masks and hats to obscure their identities.

Last week, the mayors of Hempstead and Freeport said ICE agents carried out operations in their villages and that they were notified beforehand by federal officials, according to News 12 Long Island. Immigrant advocates told Newsday they have documented arrests with photographs and video in Brentwood, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead and Westbury.

In April, ICE and its law enforcement partners conducted an operation that apprehended 206 people in New York City, on Long Island, and in the Lower Hudson Valley. More than half of those arrested had “significant criminal convictions or are currently facing charges for crimes such as murder, assault, arson, sex crimes, drug crimes and firearms crimes,” ICE said in a press release.

Maria del Mar Piedrabuena and Juliana Holguin of Tu Prensa Local contributed reporting.

Editor’s note: This original story has been updated with information provided by Riverhead Police after it was published. An update has also been added to the top of the story.