When federal immigration agents took an illegal immigrant into custody outside Consuelo’s Taqueria in Manchester this week, they considered it a simple arrest.
But to one New Hampshire House Democrat, it was something entirely different: an “abduction.”
“I was horrified by the video of ICE agents abducting a man outside Manchester District Court,” state Rep. Heath Howard (D-Strafford) wrote on Twitter/X, “This inhumane treatment must stop.”
Howard was responding to a video posted on social media showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents quietly taking a cooperative suspect into custody. The suspect has since been identified as Jose Davila, a Peruvian national who had been arrested on drunk driving charges.
Is this an “abduction?”
The incident, reportedly filmed by a local progressive activist, shows ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents detaining a man outside the courthouse. The person behind the camera asks for his name and where he’s originally from.
The video was later shared on Facebook by Sebastian Fuentes, Political Director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. (He has since restricted who can access the video.)
“ICE is taking people right here in NH,” Fuentes wrote. MANCHESTER is not an exception. Jose Davila from Peru. He has a family, loved ones waiting for him.”
Whether those loved ones are in New Hampshire or Peru, Fuentes did not make clear.
Several members of law enforcement reached out to NHJournal on background to point out Howard’s post and his use of the word “abduction” to describe a lawful arrest.
“American citizens get arrested every day; are they all being ‘kidnapped’ by law enforcement?” one complained.
Howard’s comments came even as violence against ICE agents is soaring, up 830 percent between Jan. 21 and July 14, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, according to the DHS.
GOP state Sen. Victoria Sullivan, who represents Manchester, also objected to the Strafford Democrat’s comments.
“I watched the video. The officers involved were calm and respectful when carrying out their duties,” Sullivan said. “I would ask if they consider any person being handcuffed and taken to jail ‘abducted?’ Because that was the process I saw.”
Sullivan’s fellow state senator, Daryl Abbas (R- Salem), says Howard’s comments left him confused.
“The term ‘abduction’ is used when a person is kidnapped. I don’t even understand what Democrats are advocating for,” Abbas said. “They want to live in a country that doesn’t enforce its own laws.”
State Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) serves with Howard in the House.
“Let’s be clear — ICE didn’t ‘abduct’ anyone. When someone is charged with drunk driving and is in this country illegally, they’ve broken multiple laws,” Sweeney said. “If someone drives drunk, endangering families and children in our communities, and they’re here illegally, I expect law enforcement to act, and they did.”
Asked by NHJournal why he considered Monday’s arrest an “abduction” and how it is different from arrests of American citizens, Howard declined to respond. Fuentes also declined to respond to a request for comment.
Polls show the majority of voters back the GOP’s position on illegal immigration enforcement. Results from a CBS News poll released in June found Americans solidly support Trump’s policy of deporting illegal aliens, 54 to 46 percent.
Meanwhile, an NHJournal/Praecones Analytica survey released earlier this month found a plurality of Granite Staters support the state’s new ban on sanctuary city policies (42 to 20 percent).
“This is exactly the kind of cooperation I envisioned,” said Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare), who helped push through the sanctuary city ban.
“When someone is charged with a crime or is in this country illegally, law enforcement agencies should be working together to uphold the law, not ignoring each other.
“The message should be crystal clear: If you’re in this country illegally, New Hampshire is not your safe haven. We will cooperate with ICE and work to remove you,” Berry added.
“If you’re looking for a state that will turn a blind eye, try Massachusetts – they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
