EXCLUSIVE: ICE arrest outside of Pinehurst Elementary sparks backlash; family speaks out
SALISBURY, Md. – What seemed like a routine school drop-off quickly turned into something explosive after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents responded to Pinehurst Avenue on Wednesday morning.
Twenty-four-year-old Vanessa Parazall had just finished dropping her daughter off at Pinehurst Elementary School, when she was suddenly swarmed by ICE agents in unmarked cars. Her neighbor, Elizabeth Watkins, was traveling behind her when the confrontation began.
In a video, captured by Watkins, at least six men, wearing masks and tactical gear, are seen trying to pull Parazall from her vehicle. When Watkins questions the officers’ activity, one agent tells her that Parazall “is illegal and she has aggravated charges.” Parazall was ultimately detained by authorities, and her vehicle was damaged in the process.
Parazall’s sister-in-law, Sophia Livingston, alleges that the father of Parazall’s daughter called ICE on her because of an ongoing custody dispute.
“She called me earlier, I could barely understand her from how upset she was. She said, ‘Please protect my child, please protect my family,'” Livingston says. “Her daughter has not seen her dad in over a year [and] her daughter does not want to go with her dad.”
Parents and community members promptly organized a protest outside of the elementary school during pickup hours. One community member, Olivia Wackett, expressed her shock after attending an event at the school just a week prior.
“It’s so jarring to have gone from experiencing that and feeling this true sense of belonging, community, loving and supporting one another to look out of my window and see this car completely bashed in,” Wackett says. “This has a ripple effect; it’s not just the person that was ripped from their car this morning that this has impacted… it’s our entire community it’s our children that are being impacted by this.”
In a statement to WMDT, Wicomico County Public Schools acknowledged this morning’s detainment, stating, “This incident did not take place on school property, and there was no disruption to school operations. In compliance with Wicomico County Board of Education policies, procedures, and applicable legal directives, only individuals legally authorized to access students may initiate any form of contact with a student.”
Parazall remains in ICE custody at this time. Sources tell WMDT she is being transferred to holding location in Baltimore.
