Federal immigration officials made two arrests Wednesday in Winthrop, in an apparent revival of a regional campaign last seen in the area more than a year ago.

Winthrop police, who were not involved in the operations, confirmed that two arrests were made by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and said they had no other details.

Immigration agents at Pleasant Street near Main Street in Winthrop

ICE officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Wider reach

The arrests were made Wednesday in the area of the intersection of Main Street and Pleasant Street, and at the northern end of Winthrop Beach near the intersection of Beach Road and Winthrop Shore Drive.

ICE agents were described in social media accounts as also involved in detention activity on Wednesday in other area towns including Chelsea, Melrose and Malden. The agency previously was described as conducting a regional crackdown more than a year ago, with such actions significantly affecting schools.

Winthrop has had one of the state’s largest increases in its Latino population in recent years. It was the site in April 2025 of the arrests of two employees of a house painting and flooring company whose owner said the men had been living and working in the US legally.

ICE this past May reported the arrest in Winthrop of a Salvadoran man wanted on multiple criminal charges including armed robbery, and in 2022 reported arresting in Winthrop a fugitive from Guatemala wanted in his home country on charges of rape and aggravated sexual assault.

Federal attention

Winthrop’s Town Council in September 2025 declined to approve a resolution expressing concern over the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants, as some council members said they feared such a vote would increase federal attention to the town.

The arrests Wednesday came one day after a nationwide election in which Republicans lost control of Congress and polling suggested that most voters disapproved of ICE actions, though relatively few people rated that issue as the most important factor in their choice of candidates.

Winthrop is one of several Boston-area communities that have declared their police as not cooperating with ICE. Winthrop police have said, however, that they maintain a presence at any ICE activities in town to help deter the possibility of any escalations or misunderstandings.

The town’s new police chief, Steve Rogers, said ICE is not required to share any information with his department.