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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A junior at Boston University and president of its College Republicans chapter is facing backlash after he said he was behind a series of calls to immigration authorities that led to the detention of nine workers at a car wash in Allston.
Zac Segal wrote on X that he had been “calling ICE for months on end” about the car wash in his neighborhood, and claimed that “this week they finally responded to my request to detain these criminals.”
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told Newsweek that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out a targeted immigration operation in Allston on November 4 that resulted in the arrest of nine individuals who were in the country illegally. She said one of those detained had previously been removed and "chose to commit a felony by illegally re-entering the U.S."
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Todd Pomerleau, who represents all nine detainees, told Newsweek on November 14 that each of the five women and four men detained holds a valid legal status and a work permit.
"You're entitled to the First Amendment. So he should be proud that he's allowed to express his opinion, regardless of how ignorant or vile I think it is. People might applaud his opinion. His opinion, though, is devoid of fact," Pomerleau said.
Newsweek reached out to Segal and Boston University for comment.
Why It Matters
ICE is responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants. ICE has been thrust to the forefront of the national conversation surrounding immigration enforcement as the Trump administration carries out widespread arrests and removals under a hardline mass deportation policy.
What To Know
DHS did not comment on whether Segal’s calls played any role in the enforcement action. The agency has declined to say whether the operation was launched in response to a public tip to an ICE hotline.
"As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I’ve seen how American jobs are being given away to those with no right to be here," Segal wrote on X.
Posters reportedly appeared on the BU campus featuring a photo of Segal alongside the words “racist” and “fascist” in capital letters.
College Republicans of America President Martin Bertao said in a statement to Boston 25 News: "We applaud Zac Segal, President of our Boston University College Republicans chapter, for his service to his community by reporting the presence of illegal aliens at Allston Car Wash, which resulted in the removal of nine illegals. Any person who enters this nation illegally is in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1325, and is therefore subject to swift removal by ICE. Zac Segal is a hero, and we are proud to call him one of our own. We call on all College Republicans to follow in the lead of this great patriot and notify their local ICE forces of any known illegal activity in their communities immediately."
Segal is listed on the Boston University athletics website as a member of the men’s cross-country and track teams. He was born in London and received his schooling in the United Kingdom, according to the BU athletics website.
"[Segal] doesn't know anything about them," Pomerleau said of the car wash workers.
"He claims they're taking jobs from Americans, which one would wonder based on his own viewpoint, is he taking a college seat away from an American since he's from London?"
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Allston Car Wash manager Jose Barrera told Boston.com that roughly 22 federal agents arrived at the Cambridge Street location with subpoenas, but began arresting employees before they could retrieve the documents from the locker room.
Pomerleau said that his clients “were grabbed and thrown in vans with zero due process” and were not presented with either a civil administrative detainer or any criminal warrant.
Pomerleau said that “overstaying a visa is not a crime; applying for asylum is not a crime; being trafficked is not a crime,” and each of his clients is entitled to due process protections while in the U.S.
Overstaying a visa is typically regarded as a civil violation rather than a criminal offense. While it can trigger removal proceedings or bars to reentry, the act of remaining in the country past an authorized period does not, by itself, carry criminal penalties.
DHS said three of the detainees entered the country during the Biden administration, four had evaded border authorities, one entered illegally during the George W. Bush administration, and one overstayed a visa that expired during the Clinton administration.
"If it was targeted, there was not one criminal or administrative warrant presented to any of the nine individuals," Pomerleau said.
"Additionally, entry into the United States without authorization is at most a misdemeanor. Although reentry can be considered a felony, there are defenses to it. It is not always a volitional act: you can be trafficking in the United States, smuggled into the United States; you can be seeking asylum even with a prior removal order; you could be fleeing natural disasters. Again, it is a case-by-case analysis that is required and can only happen if due process of law is provided."
Several detainees said they are being denied adequate food and medication, pressured to sign documents, and prevented from making phone calls, Pomerleau said. He added that Massachusetts has no dedicated women’s ICE detention facility; four of the women were initially held at ICE’s New England headquarters in Burlington, where Pomerleau alleges access to communication and counsel was limited.
Pomerleau said it took roughly a week before attorneys were able to speak directly with their clients. Some were eventually transported to detention facilities in Vermont to await proceedings. One woman was transferred to Texas despite a court order that detainees not be moved out of Massachusetts; Pomerleau said she is now being brought back to New England.
He said his office has filed multiple habeas corpus petitions challenging what he describes as violations of constitutional rights, particularly the denial of prompt bond hearings.
Pomerleau said the arrests have sparked “an uproar” in the local community, with candlelight vigils and offers of support from residents. He argued that public discussion of the detainees has been shaped by “misinformation,” particularly claims that they are criminals.
What People Are Saying
Attorney Todd Pomerleau told Newsweek: "Every person in America is entitled to due process in the law, regardless of their race, their religion, their creed, their place of birth. And citizenship status. Due process applies to all persons on U.S. soil."
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "For decades, politicians left our borders wide open. Now, thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, we have the most secure border in American history."
**Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon said in a statement: "**My understanding is that those detained were not permitted by ICE to retrieve their documents from their work lockers during the raid. This is kidnapping- plain and simple. It is a horrifying chapter in the illegal and vindictive targeting of Boston by ICE and the Trump Administration."
What Happens Next
The nine detainees remain in federal custody as legal proceedings continue, with attorneys challenging the detentions and requesting bond hearings.
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