Delaware
After police assist ICE in Seaford, ACLU asks Delaware governor for guidance
Witness captures video of state and Seaford police assisting ICE
Christa Keim took this video the morning of Nov. 6 near the Seaford Lowe’s.
Provided by Christa Keim
The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware is calling on Gov. Matt Meyer to issue more guidance on when state and local law enforcement can assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Delaware State and Seaford police did just that.
The two agencies responded to ICE’s request for assistance in detaining Carlos Chag-Gonzalez outside the Seaford Lowe’s the morning of Nov. 6, according to an ACLU DE news release.
“It is still unclear whether ICE possessed a valid judicial warrant for Chag-Gonzalez, nor is it known if state and local law enforcement requested to see a warrant,” the Nov. 13 release said. ICE, Delaware State Police and the Seaford Police Department did not immediately respond when asked if they had or saw a warrant.
ACLU DE Campaign Manager Helen Salita signed the letter to Meyer. Without evidence of a warrant and purported witness statements that indicate there was no public safety emergency, the letter said, the incident raises concerns about whether police violated previous ICE guidance from the governor’s office.
The letter asks Meyer’s office to detail their next steps in creating new guidance by Nov. 20.
Previous guidance
The letter pointed out Meyer’s office has made previous efforts in response “to public outcry to not support the federal administration’s immigration enforcement program.”
Earlier this year, Misty Seemans, a deputy legal counsel with the governor’s office, told Spotlight Delaware’s José Ignacio Castañeda Perez state law enforcement resources would not be used “to effectuate federal administration policies” unless there is a valid court warrant and “an exigent circumstance where the community is at risk.”
And after Camden police entered into an agreement with ICE in April, which they later withdrew, Delaware enacted a law prohibiting agreements between law enforcement and ICE.
Most recently, the Wilmington City Council passed a unanimous resolution “opposing collaboration between the city and ICE,” the letter pointed out.
“However, the incident in Seaford illustrates that despite these meaningful steps, the rules around when and how our state and local law enforcement cooperate with ICE remain murky,” the letter said. “That is why your office must act immediately to issue firm guidance outlining how all Delaware agencies interact with ICE.”
“Without clear guidance, inconsistent responses from state and local agencies risk undermining public safety by decreasing trust in law enforcement and diverting resources away from programs that keep our communities safe. We also run the risk of Delaware being unintentionally dragged in to the federal administration’s immigration enforcement regime under backdoor, misleading pretenses that state and local law enforcement must respond to public safety threats where none actually exist.”
What police, ICE say happened
Chaj-Gonzalez was arrested after resisting officers from ICE Baltimore’s Salisbury sub-office, a Nov. 7 statement provided by ICE spokesperson Casey Latimer said. (Note: The ACLU has spelled the last name as “Chag,” while police and ICE have spelled it “Chaj.” We are working to clarify the correct spelling.)
ICE sought Chaj-Gonzalez because he is an “illegal alien” from Guatemala and has unlawfully entered the U.S. 10 times, the statement said. He has been issued a “notice to appear” and will remain in ICE custody, according to the statement.
Latimer did not respond to requests for Chaj’s age and other information.
Delaware State Police spokesperson India Sturgis said her agency responded to the incident “following a report that a federal agent had been assaulted,” but the ICE statement said no officers were injured. Sturgis later said Delaware State Police happened to be in a neighboring parking lot when Seaford police were dispatched to the incident.
“Given our close proximity, we responded to assist. As far as our threshold, our troopers assist any agency or individual when help is needed,” she said.
A Seaford Police Department news release said Chaj-Gonzalez “allegedly physically resisted federal agents, before fleeing and hiding under a nearby utility trailer,” the news release said.
Seaford officers responded and remained at the scene until more federal agents arrived, the release said. They also assisted in moving the trailer under which the man was hiding so agents could take him into custody, the department added.
The suspect “obtained a minor injury” while being taken into custody, the release said, and was treated by Seaford police util EMS arrived. Seaford police contacted the owner of the trailer but had no other involvement, the release said.
“ICE claimed it was a minor injury,” the ACLU letter said, “However, a statement from a witness said, ‘they busted some [guy’s] head open’ and that ‘a lady cop was putting pressure on his head.’” Neither the letter nor the news release provided the name of the witness.
“I can’t confirm at this time whether or not this was our first assist for ICE,” Seaford Police Department spokesman Tyler Justice said via email Nov. 6. “In this situation, we were requested by them to respond to assist which is generally our threshold for any federal agency or local partners. We do not have any information as to what grounds the individual was being detained on.”
On Nov. 7, the Seaford Police Department released another statement on social media, titling it “incident clarification.”
“We understand in this highly politicized environment that whatever we do, some are going to think we were right and some are going to think we were wrong. So the most we can do for the community is to try and be as honest and transparent as possible,” the statement said.
“We do not participate in civil immigration enforcement. We take our responsibility for the safety and security of ALL of our community members very seriously. However, when situations involving federal partners turns into a criminal investigation, as it did yesterday, we are legally allowed to and will assist, as we would for any criminal investigation within our jurisdiction.”
“(Delaware State and Seaford police’s) actions during the operation led directly to ICE’s ability to detain Chag-Gonzalez. For many Delawareans, especially immigrant communities, state and local law enforcement’s actions equate to undertaking an active role in immigration enforcement,” the ACLU’s letter to Meyer said. “These actions violate community trust, reignite fear and anxiety, and threaten the goodwill our state has built between community members and law enforcement through actions like banning (police and ICE) agreements.”
Delaware is at a crossroads, according to the letter.
“Will we allow our state and local law enforcement to continue to play by the old rules even as ICE terrorizes our communities, or will we hold our state agencies accountable for ensuring that Delaware is not willingly or unwillingly aiding ICE?” the letter said.
“We must be clear about where Delaware stands and ensure our guidelines reflect our state’s values and guarantee that Delaware remains a place where all people — regardless of immigration or citizenship status — can live and thrive without fear.”
You can read the full letter at aclu-de.org.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.
Measles in Pennsylvania worries Delaware health officals
Delaware health officials are on high alert as measles cases rise in Pennsylvania.
As measles cases increase in Pennsylvania, Delaware health officials say they are on high alert, warning that “infectious diseases don’t care about state borders.”
Dr. Ayanna Buckner, chief physician in the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Office of Epidemiology, said as of July 9, Delaware did not yet have any confirmed measles cases.
But she noted the state is vulnerable given its close proximity to outbreak locations, prior exposure incidents in Delaware and the highly contagious nature of the disease.
She also noted Delaware has already encountered potential measles threats this year, including an exposure linked to an out-of-state patient who sought treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital and the detection of measles in a Lewes wastewater sample.
“We do feel that our Delaware community is at high risk,” Buckner said. “We spend so much time doing investigations around infectious diseases, and measles is the one that we are on pins and needles about this summer.”
As of July 8, Pennsylvania had 101 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, up from 94 on July 6. The majority of those were in Lancaster County – 60 total cases this year, including 52 since late April – and Lebanon County – 20 cases. These counties do not border Delaware.
However, four cases have been confirmed in Chester County since April. Chester borders the First State.
“We can’t say, ‘Oh, that’s over there in that state; we’re [OK],’” Buckner said. “Again, because infectious diseases don’t respect state borders.”
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Quotations are verbatim.
Question: How concerned should Delaware residents be about measles?
Answer: So far this year, the Division of Public Health has issued two health alerts about measles. The first was in February, when an unvaccinated resident of another state who was infected sought treatment at the Nemours Children’s Hospital emergency department. Health officials notified anyone who was potentially exposed and conducted contact tracing.
The second alert came in April, after routine wastewater testing in Lewes detected measles in a water sample.
“We were concerned that a measles case would pop up in Delaware, but that never happened. So we are making a guess that perhaps someone was traveling through the area. But again, if someone with measles travels through here, they could still potentially expose people that they come in contact with in Delaware.”
If a fully vaccinated person is exposed to measles, then visits or cares for an unvaccinated person, what’s the risk to the unvaccinated person?
Everything in the study of infectious diseases is a risk calculation, and a situation like that would be considered low risk. But “that is why vaccination is so important.”
What would you say to someone who is hesitant about vaccination?
“I cannot give a stronger recommendation for them, especially at this time. And I say especially at this time because every meeting I’m in, when I’m meeting with other states, when I’m attending national meetings, we’re always talking about measles.”
Given large-scale public events throughout the region this summer, such as the FIFA World Cup and American 250th anniversary events, “one of our biggest concerns is measles.”
My child isn’t old enough to be vaccinated. Are there common sense precautions I can take?
The first dose for infants is usually given between 12 and 15 months. Some states with outbreaks are recommending that babies get them earlier. Delaware is not one of them. However, it has long been recommended that a baby six months old or older who is planning to travel abroad get the measles vaccine.
“Be thoughtful about prevention and be really vigilant. If someone is telling you they’ve got a rash, they’ve got a cough, really try not to be around them. So often folks are like, ‘Oh, I can’t miss work,’ or ‘I don’t want to miss this playdate.’ But if someone’s sick, don’t bring your baby around.”
If I suspect myself or my child has measles, should I show up unannounced at a doctor’s office?
No. Call ahead and follow the health care facility’s instructions.
Are adults who were vaccinated decades ago still protected?
If you were born before 1957, you are considered immune. If you were fully vaccinated, you’re also considered immune. If you’re concerned, however, your doctor can order a blood test to check for immunity. Such testing is fairly common.
“When we are doing a measles investigation, the first thing we ask is, ‘Are you vaccinated? Can you show us proof of vaccination?’ If we can’t find it in our Delaware database, then we ask people, ‘Can you show us your records?’ If people don’t have them, then we think about whether we need to recommend prophylaxis. But one of the steps in between is people will frequently go and have their (blood) drawn, which can demonstrate immunity.”
If a measles case is identified in Delaware, what happens next?
The process begins by identifying those who were exposed and inquiring about vaccine status. Then, health officials will “make appropriate recommendations about prophylaxis” – or a measure taken to prevent a disease from occurring before it becomes an active illness.
“We will also work with facilities depending on what type of facility it was. If it’s a hospital, we usually can get names and make phone calls to them. But sometimes it’s a public event, and we don’t have someone who can just give us all the names, so we will use social media and/or provide a letter that the facility can provide to inform people. I strongly encourage everyone to follow the Division of Public Health social media pages … We also strongly encourage health professionals, school leaders, business leaders, as appropriate, to sign up for our Delaware Health Alert notification, and that’s on our website.”
Which famous people have visited Hotel du Pont in Delaware?
Athletes, world leaders, actors and other famous people have visited the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington over the years.
Southern rap icon 2 Chainz is coming for Delaware’s neck this summer in a special event highlighting his recently released New York Times Bestseller, “The Voice in My Head is God.”
This book talk is set for Wilmington Public Library on July 21. Folks interested in attending are required to purchase the book at registration. The cost of a ticket includes the book.
Here’s what to know about 2 Chainz, “The Voice in My Head is God” and how he was involved in one of the greatest hip-hop concerts that Delaware never got to see.
Who is rap star 2 Chainz?
Tauheed Epps, better known by the stage name 2 Chainz, is a 48-year-old Georgia native who used to rap under the controversial moniker Ti– Boi when he was a member of the duo Playaz Circle, alongside his friend Dolla Boy. In 2007, the duo signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace (DTP), a label that operated under Def Jam, according to an article from Revolt.TV.
That same year, Playaz Circle dropped the major song “Duffle Bag Boy” featuring Lil Wayne. The Atlanta-area rapper eventually went solo and began his journey as a trap music icon who switched his name to 2 Chainz, under which he’s gained a ridiculous amount of music collaborations and success.
According to RIAA.com, 2 Chainz has racked up over a dozen singles and albums combined that have each gone platinum (including “I’m Different” and “Based on a T.R.U. Story”). That doesn’t even include the multiple guest records he’s appeared on that have gone platinum, too.
From Lil Wayne to Drake, 2 Chainz has worked with everyone
Some of the artists 2 Chainz has teamed with include Quavo and Gucci (“Good Drank”), Wiz Khalifa on the song “We Own It” (Fast and Furious) and J Cole (“Chris Tucker”), plus repeat collabs with artists like Kanye West (“Champions,” “The One”), Drake (“Sacrifices,” “No Lie”) and a joint album with Lil Wayne (“Welcome 2 Collegegrove”).
The rapper 2 Chainz has been nominated for six Grammys Awards and won his first in 2017 for Best Rap Performance on Chance The Rapper’s tune “No Problem.”
That time 2 Chainz brought in LeBron James
Thinking outside of the box, 2 Chainz brought on LeBron James (yep, the same NBA superstar who reportedly is considering signing with the Philadelphia 76ers) as an A&R for his 2019 album: “Rap or Go To the League,” Billboard reported.
2 Chainz releases new book, ‘The Voice in My Head is God’
The rapper’s new book released this past spring and highlights how 2 Chainz, raised by a single mom while his dad served prison time, chose to step away from the streets and discovered “his purpose: not by fame or fear, but by faith,” per the book’s synopsis on Amazon.
“In his most personal work yet, Grammy Award–winning rapper 2 Chainz shares the spiritual journey behind his success, offering a raw, reflective, and deeply motivational meditation on the inner voice that’s guided him his whole life: God.”
2 Chainz and the super Delaware concert that never was
One of Delaware’s greatest hip-hop concerts to never happen was supposed to include several rap legends a few years ago, and 2 Chainz was one of them.
This super concert was titled “Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50 Tour,” a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, and it was set to be held at Frawley’s Stadium in Wilmington in 2023.
The tour stop to Delaware was slated to feature a lineup that included a blend of contemporary rappers and pioneers such as Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, Rakim and Slick Rick.
Just days before the event, however, The Grand in Wilmington announced on social media that the plug had been pulled on the concert “due to circumstances beyond our control.”
A big reason the event was sunk is likely due to the price of tickets, which were initially $170 per person. The Grand offered the same tickets for $100 on Facebook not long before the show was canceled.
This upcoming book talk with 2 Chainz should be redemption for Delaware fans who missed him because of the canceled tour stop in 2023.
How much are tickets to see 2 Chainz in Delaware?
Interested guests are required to purchase 2 Chainz’s new book, “The Voice in my Head is God,” to attend his Delaware book talk. The price of ticketed admission is $28.52 and includes the book. Be warned: Tickets may not be available if you wait too long. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
Where in Delaware is 2 Chainz for his book talk?
Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) from 6 to 8 p.m. July 21. For more information, visit facebook.com/WilmingtonLibraryDE or Wilmington Public Library’s Eventbrite page or call (302) 571-7400.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
Is Jersey Mike’s the new fast‑food king? How it beat Chick‑fil‑A
Jersey Mike’s beats Chick-fil-A for top customer satisfaction in ACSI study; praised for fresh, made-to-order subs.
Plans for one of the nation’s most popular fast-food chains to open a location in the city of Delaware are moving forward.
Chick-fil-A is planning a new 5,033-square-foot restaurant with a double drive-through lane on a nearly 2-acre site on Delaware’s east side.
The development plans are headed to Delaware City Council after the city’s Planning Commission approved them July 1.
This location would be the first Chick-fil-A in the city of Delaware, but not in the county. The chain has a location in Lewis Center and three in the Polaris area, according to the company’s website.
The popular chicken restaurant, a Chipotle location and other to-be-announced restaurants and retail are part of a new Trailhead Crossing development planned on the eastern edge of Delaware near Sunbury Road (State Route 36) and Sky View Lane, documents indicate. City council approved rezoning the site in February.
Get more Delaware County news: Subscribe to The Dispatch’s free weekly Delaware County newsletter, The Delaware Dispatch.
The restaurant will include 92 indoor seats, an outdoor patio with 20 seats and 68 parking spots, planning documents show.
An internal access drive connecting to Sky View Lane from the west and Biltmore Drive from the north will be built within the site and will connect to all the lots within the Trailhead Crossing development. The access from Sky View Lane will be right-in/right-out only. The site will not have access directly from Sunbury Road, city documents state.
Chris Tebbe, an engineer with the Dublin-based firm Tebbe Civil Engineering, didn’t know an exact opening date for the restaurant, but said once plans are approved by the City Council, crews will be working on the location this year into next year.
Delaware County and eastern Columbus suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
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