Updated November 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM EST
The owners of an Allston car wash raided by ICE said a Boston University student was “reckless” to have called immigration officials multiple times on the employees, as the student claimed on social media.
Nine people were taken into custody in the Nov. 4 immigration raid on the car wash. Their attorney said many of those workers had legal authorization to work in the United States, and three workers were granted bail in a hearing on Monday.
In a post on the business’ Facebook page Friday, Allston Car Wash responded to comments by BU College Republicans chapter president Zac Segal, who claimed without evidence that the employees were criminals.
The business’ statement said Segal never contacted the car wash with his suspicions about the employees.
“Publicly labeling our workforce as ‘criminals’ without any knowledge of who they are is reckless and distressing,” the post read.
“The employees detained last week are part of our team and part of this community,” the post continued. “We are doing everything possible to support them and their families throughout this process.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson reportedly said Segal was not involved and that the raid was based on “law enforcement intelligence.”
The workers’ attorney, Todd Pomerleau, said Segal “doesn’t know any of them,” despite publicly labeling the employees as criminals.
“It’s a false narrative that has somehow been seen by a million people,” Pomerleau said.
He said several workers remain detained in New England and one is in Texas. Three of them were granted bond on Monday.
Pomerleau described the workers’ arrest and treatment in custody as “uncivilized” and “unconstitutional.”
“The same government that gives you a work permit then hunts you down and throws you in a van, sends you to Texas or Vermont, deprives you of food, treats you like you’re inhuman,” he said. “This is supposed to be a civil immigration system. It’s uncivilized, unprecedented and unconstitutional.”
Meanwhile, Segal followed up Friday with a social media post saying that he received death threats after he claimed responsibility for calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to report the employees.
Segal said that his personal information was posted online.
“No matter who you are or what you believe, threats and intimidation are unacceptable and should be condemned by everyone,” he wrote on X.
The official X account of the Department of Homeland Security responded to the tweet, writing simply “Patriot.”
Pomerleau said the workers do not want anyone to retaliate against Segal.
“They don’t want to see his constitutional rights trampled upon either,” he said.
But the workers and their families have been deeply shaken by the fallout. Pomerleau argued that Segal’s actions have caused harm on campus and sparked fear well beyond it.
“I met with one of their family members the other day, traumatized, and all she’s saying is, ‘Why are you calling us criminals?’ ” he said.
At an unrelated event, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu sent support to the families impacted by the raid.
“I know this is a devastating situation, especially when it sounds like there were individuals who had documentation to be in this country who maybe weren’t able to access that in the moments as the enforcement was unfolding,” Wu said, “so we will continue to support our community members.” She did not mention Segal.
Segal is junior at BU and from England. In his recent post, he said he was “born in Florida, raised abroad.”
“I love this country, and everything I did came from that place,” he wrote.
In September, he spoke to WBUR about the effect of far-right provocateur Charlie Kirk’s murder. Segal said Kirk encouraged young conservatives to speak up about their beliefs and showed that getting involved in politics is “almost cool.”
After he took credit for the ICE raid on Nov. 7, images of Segal and his comments circulated widely online. Unrelated posts on Boston University’s social media pages have been flooded with comments demanding the school to take action against Segal.
In a statement, Boston University said the school has heard “concerns raised by our campus community and neighbors” about Segal’s actions. The school said it “seeks to support the safety and well-being of all members of its community.”
University President Melissa Gilliam also called on the community to “affirm the dignity and worth of all people” without mentioning Segal or the immigration raid.
“Too often, we fail to see one another’s full humanity, overlooking the rich complexity and unique gifts each person brings,” said Gilliam in a statement Friday. “When we focus only on differences — skin color, political views — we risk fostering division and pain where there should be unity and understanding.”
Segal is a volunteer intern for Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve. A spokesperson for Shortsleeve told WBUR on Thursday the campaign doesn’t “answer for anyone else’s social media.”
“Brian supports enforcing our law, including our immigration laws, and Brian supports due process,” said spokeswoman Holly Robichaud.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party called on Shortsleeve to denounce Segal’s actions.
“It is absolutely abhorrent that anyone would intentionally target hard working mothers and fathers and members of our community like this,” party Chair Steve Kerrigan said in a statement on Nov. 14. “It’s even worse to brag about it afterwards. This is yet another insight into how the future leaders of the Republican Party think and act.”
WBUR reporter Eve Zuckoff contributed to this report.
Editor’s Note: Boston University owns WBUR’s broadcast license. WBUR is editorially independent.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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