This story was originally produced by WBUR. We are republishing it in partnership with the .
For weeks, rumors have been flying around town about four workers at a popular local restaurant who were detained by federal officials.
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrived at Mi Jalisco, a Mexican restaurant in this picturesque village at the foot of Mount Monadnock on Feb. 24. They searched the business, and later took a cook and three other employees into custody.
Government officials haven't said why the workers were targeted or what they're accused of doing, leaving the community confused and fearful.
Residents at a recent town meeting called it "terrifying," and demanded to know how agents could show up, remove four people and not explain why.
"Are the people in jail?" asked Ciaran Nagle, a resident who addressed members of the town's Select Board. "Do people need a lawyer? Do people need funding?"
Federal immigration agents have hundreds of people in Massachusetts, including , a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who was grabbed in Somerville by a group of masked federal officers and transported to Louisiana. But immigrant advocates are also alarmed by what's happening elsewhere in New England.
In Peterborough, there are more questions than answers.
The town's police chief, Scott Guinard, said he knew federal agents were in town, but didn't know who they were pursuing or why. In 2017, Peterborough approved an ordinance that prevents its police officers from enforcing federal immigration laws or asking people about their immigration status.
Members of the Select Board said they were also in the dark.
"I do not know why we were not informed," board chair Tyler Ward told WBUR. " I think the mystery around the whole thing was what really set people off."
Ward said he worries that Peterborough "had a target on its back" because of its policy on policing and immigration, but he rejects the idea that his town is a so-called "sanctuary city."
"I know the people of Peterborough have no interest in harboring criminals — being a party to people that are up to no good," Ward said. "But I think people don't want the fear of anybody being taken at any time."
WBUR reached out to the DEA and ICE about the arrests, but they didn’t provide any information. The owner of the restaurant declined to be interviewed, but did tell WBUR that he works hard and does not "hire criminals."
A member of the community started a campaign to help those detained.
"They are just trying to exist and support their families," the fundraising webpage reads. "One of them has a baby on the way any day, and they need the village they contribute to, to help out in a time of need. Politics aside, they are real people, and they are our friends. They need our help and support."
A recent update on the page says one of the people detained was taken to a Texas facility and has now been released to await a hearing in immigration court. A lawyer involved in the case did not respond to phone calls and emails from WBUR.
Exactly what happened and why remains unclear — which makes many people in town nervous, even reluctant to talk.
"Some people are just scared," said a local business owner, who didn't want to give his name. WBUR agreed to identify him by the initial "T" because he's afraid of becoming a target amid the arrests and current national political climate.
"I live in a state that has a slogan: 'Live Free or Die.' I live in a country where you have a constitution that allows you to speak," T said. "But we're seeing this kind of approach that is undermining that."
Other residents are more willing to talk, including Nagle, who spoke up at the town meeting. He's a musician from Ireland, who went through his own immigration process and is now an American citizen.
He said it's important to consider the perspective of immigrants trying to make a living, while navigating a complex immigration system.
"If you're a criminal, you shouldn't be here," Nagle told WBUR. "But there's a legal process that is broken. Don't throw people out because they're trying to figure it out. Put yourself in that situation. Fix the problem."
Nagle said "throwing people out" without a public explanation only creates fear.
The lack of public information about these cases is not unusual, according to Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. He said that as federal immigration officials step up arrests and enforcement actions across the country, they're selective about which cases they talk about, publicizing only those that "fit the narrative that they want to promote about immigrant communities."
"But what they often don't publish are stories or incidents that are inconsistent with the narrative they're trying to promote," Bissonnette said.
Trump administration officials often refer to immigrants without legal status as "criminal aliens," and have said their priority is removing people they accuse of being gang members, drug traffickers, violent criminals or supporting terrorist organizations. But they have acknowledged that people without criminal records can be in enforcement efforts.
The events in Peterborough come as New Hampshire's lawmakers embrace stricter immigration laws, which separates the state from its New England neighbors.
"We have seen a significant move toward anti-immigrant policies, anti-immigration rhetoric," Bissonnette said.
During her successful campaign for governor of New Hampshire, Republican Kelly Ayotte ran on the slogan, "," a reference to what she called "Massachusetts' illegal immigrant crisis."
"They've spent a billion dollars housing migrants, rather than spending it, investing it on their law-abiding citizens," Ayotte said during her inauguration speech, in which she promised "to ban sanctuary policies," like the one on the books in Peterborough.
New Hampshire's to do that, which would align the state with the policies of the Trump administration. The tough approach is backed by advocates of tighter immigration laws, including Ira Mehlman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, who said Granite State lawmakers are right to ban "sanctuary" communities.
"The refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities really does undermine the interests of and public safety of people in those jurisdictions," Mehlman said.
Immigrant advocates push back on that position and say banning these local policies erodes trust in the police and makes communities less safe.
Ward said Peterborough is taking steps to support its immigrants — not punish them.
Since federal agents detained the four restaurant workers, the town has sponsored efforts to ensure businesses are versed in immigration law, and employees know where to find legal assistance if needed.
"Peterborough is a very welcoming community," Ward said. "We're all stuck in this, trying to figure out how can we help."
This segment aired on March 31, 2025.
