Everett Mayor says boy detained by ICE didn't have a gun

Everett's mayor and police chief say a 13-year-old boy detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not have a gun on him when arrested, refuting claims made by federal officials.

In an X post following the boy’s detainment, Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called him a "public safety threat" in possession "of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested.”

During a press conference Tuesday, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said "no guns were found" when city police officers arrested the minor at a bus stop on Thursday, but confirmed they  recovered a "six- to seven-inch double-sided knife.”

Details about the arrest have not been made public; the Everett police department told WBUR the arrest report is not subject to public records law because the boy is a minor.

DeMaria said the arrest took place after police investigated a “credible tip about a juvenile boy who made a violent threat against another boy within our public school.” He credited the police department’s “quick and decisive action” with preventing what “could have been a tragedy in our schools.”

The Everett Police Department “does not make arrests based on immigration status” and did not contact ICE about the boy’s arrest, according to the mayor.

“ ICE operates independently and has the authority to access certain law enforcement databases and take action on its own accord,” he said. “ Once an individual is taken into ICE custody, the city of Everett and the Everett Police have no authority or control over what happens next.”

Police Chief Paul Strong said adults have been taken into ICE custody after being arrested by his department. To the best of his knowledge, he said, "this is the first time a juvenile has been taken."

Lawyers for the boy did not immediately return requests for comment.

Strong called the child’s arrest an “isolated incident” and said the boy was booked and fingerprinted “like everybody else that is booked.”

“Once your fingerprints are taken, it goes to ICE and they determine if you're an illegal entry," he said.

He said ICE “more often than not” will notify the police department if it plans to send someone to detain an individual of interest.

The boy was moved from a Burlington ICE facility to one in Virginia on Friday, according to the attorney representing the boy’s family.

A judge has given the federal government until the close of business Tuesday to provide grounds justifying the boy's detention.