> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.themontgomerybrief.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# They ran for the river. Not to swim. To get away.
- URL: https://www.themontgomerybrief.org/they-ran-for-the-river-not-to-swim-to-get-away/
- Published: 2026-07-25T00:19:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-29T17:10:06.000Z
- Author: Aline Barros

### They chose the river. On a quiet stretch of the Potomac at Lock 7, the water ran fast and cold and for a few minutes, it became the only way out.

They ran for the river.

Just after a federal operation unfolded near Lock 7 along the Potomac River, right off Clara Barton Parkway on July 22, several individuals plunged into the water.

Not to swim. To get away.

Witnesses said federal agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved in on a group of workers along the parkway. As agents closed in, several workers fled toward the riverbank and plunged into the Potomac.

The current there is fast. The rocks are slick. The water is deep.

A 911 caller reported a person in the water.

Within minutes, the Montgomery County swift-water rescue team deployed boats and crews to search the river for a possible drowning.

All of the individuals reached the shore. Rescue crews conducted a second sweep of the river to ensure no one was left behind before clearing the scene.

What started as an immigration stop ended as a water rescue.

Federal agents continued with detentions on the shore.

Yesterday’s incident is part of a growing pattern advocates have been documenting for months along the federal parkways that run along the Potomac, the Clara Barton, the George Washington Memorial, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, where routine traffic stops turn into immigration arrests when ICE appears.

Montgomery County Police spokesperson Degan Bartels said in a statement that “after it was determined that our assistance was not needed, MCPD officers disengaged from the incident.”

“MCPD’s role was limited solely to ensuring officer safety and providing assistance if rescue or emergency response became necessary,” Bartels wrote in a statement.

For many in the immigrant community, the river has become a symbol of how far people will go to avoid being detained.

In response to recent activity near the river, immigrant advocacy groups are sharing key guidance for residents, commuters, and workers who travel through the area. Officials recommend that individuals carry a physical list of emergency contact numbers on their person rather than relying solely on a cell phone.

Families are also encouraged to establish an emergency plan in the event a relative is stopped and unable to return home.

Advocates also highlighted a policy update regarding vehicles left behind after an enforcement action, noting that family members can now retrieve an impounded car directly from the tow lot by presenting a valid photo ID.

As operations continue, residents who witness law enforcement activity near the river are being urged to document the events safely from a distance and to keep neighbors informed.