The New England Regional Headquarters for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is supposed to be a processing facility where people stay for only hours, and the town of Burlington where the facility is located says that’s how it is zoned. “What I’m just concerned about is fair and humane treatment for anybody in Burlington,” said Mike Espejo, chairman of the Select Board, “and this doesn’t seem like that’s happening.”

Milford teen describes conditions

He tells WBZ-TV the case of Marcelo Gomes da Silva has shined a new light on what is allegedly happening behind the doors. “No one deserves to be down there,” Gomes da Silva told reporters when he posted bail last week. “You sleep on concrete floors, I have to use the bathroom in the open. It’s humiliating.” 

He described what he called inhumane conditions for six days, leaving the town now more than concerned. 

“We had no idea anything like that was happening,” said Espejo. It is why town officials are now gathering information on the scope of the operations inside the building and whether the ICE facility is violating local zoning laws. “We are checking with our legal counsel to see if we can do any type of zoning enforcement, or health code violation enforcement,” Espejo said. “Anything we can do to just make sure that people are at least being treated humanely.”

Town was told no one held overnight

There was some opposition in the town when the facility first opened in 2008, but residents received assurances that no one would be held overnight. Espejo said they were told the same thing in recent weeks when local officials began inquiries amid rumors. 

In a statement ICE tells WBZ-TV, “There are occasions where detainees might need to stay at the Burlington office for a short period that might exceed the anticipated administrative processing time.” 

The statement goes on to say, “detainees are given ample food, regular access to phones, showers and legal representation as well as medical care when needed.” 

That’s not what Marcelo Gomes da Silva said he experienced. “I haven’t showered in six days. I haven’t done anything,” he said when he was released. 

Espejo says it’s a gray area for the town. “It’s a federal facility so we don’t know how much jurisdiction we have over it,” Espejo said. He says town officials feel misled about a building where they believed mostly paperwork was being done. 

With money sending apps and online banking, why are so many new bank branches popping up in Massachusetts? 

Ever spot a “Space Available for Lease” sign and hope a new café, bookstore or restaurant is coming to town? Excitement builds and then you learn… it’s another bank? It seems to be recent trend in banking and now it’s happening in Massachusetts. 

In Needham for instance, a town of about 32,000 people, there are nine bank branches. One of the newest is a Chase Bank that replaced a convenience store which had replaced a Friendly’s restaurant. 

“I was hoping it would be a restaurant,” said Eileen Baker, who owns Proud Mary, a gift and fashion boutique in the heart of Needham. “We would love to see little coffee shops; I know a lot of people would love to see a bookshop in Needham. Little specialty foods.” 

Baker and many other small business owners thrive when people are drawn downtown by new specialty shops and restaurants. Banks, not so much. 

Chase opening 50 new branches

With mobile banking and Venmo, physical banks might seem outdated. But Chase, the country’s largest commercial bank, plans to open 50 new branches in the state by 2027, including brand-new branches in towns like Sudbury and Weston. 

“I don’t really understand why there are so many banks,” said one young man outside of the under-construction Chase in Sudbury.
Opening in wealthy neighborhoods 

Good question. So, we asked Eric Rosengren, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

“They would only do it because its cost effective,” Rosengren said. “You don’t see it in lower income neighborhoods. You see it in wealthy neighborhoods, because even a few wealthy individuals can provide a significant amount of income coming from the wealth management.” 

Rosengren says these often-plush new branches are designed to attract affluent customers who might still value face-to-face financial advice. 

Recent surge 

This surge is a very recent shift. In fact, nationwide, the total number of bank branches has dropped by 13,000 in the last decade. In 2014 there were about 81,000 U.S. bank branches. In 2023 – for the first time in a long time- there was an uptick in new branches- leaving about 68,000 branches. 

Will the trend continue? Most research says younger customers are using mobile banking and very seldom visit their local branch. Will they change their minds once they begin to accumulate wealth? Sound like some financial companies are banking on it.

If you have a question you’d like us to look into, please email questioneverything@cbsboston.com.