Much as Boston’s Mayor Wu might complain about the Trump Administration’s demands that she roll back her city’s sanctuary policies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) isn’t playing games and is cracking down on her state’s dysfunction regardless, as was shown when it arrested about 1500 illegal aliens in a May operation, one of the largest in ICE history.
For reference, Massachusetts is known for its far-left political views, being one of the most solidly deep blue states in the country. While the governor claims entire state is not a sanctuary state, many conservatives argue that the policies it has in place make it one. Further, its leading cities, Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, are all sanctuary cities.
So, as part of its pushback on sanctuary jurisdictions through immigration enforcement, ICE carried out a sweeping operation over the course of May that saw it arrest nearly 1500 illegal aliens as part of a state-wide crackdown on transnational crime, gangs, and illegal aliens who are still here despite having committed egregious crimes.
Announcing the successful crackdown in a press release, DHS said, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal law enforcement partners apprehended almost 1,500 illegal aliens during a monthlong enforcement operation focusing on transnational organized crime, gangs and egregious illegal alien offenders throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Continuing, it noted which federal agencies and departments helped it carry out the massive crackdowon and the exact number of illegal aliens caught, saying, “During the enhanced operation, named Operation Patriot, officers from ICE Boston partnered with the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the ATF, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Coast Guard to arrest 1,461 illegal alien offenders throughout the month of May.”
The statement went on to provide that over half of those arrested in the crackdown were notorious criminal offenders, providing, “More than half the 1,461 arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Seven-hundred and ninety of the alien offenders were charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States or abroad.”
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde, commenting for the release on the successful arrest spree, noted, “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a safer place today thanks to the hard work and determination of the men and women of ICE and our federal partners. Working together, we were able to arrest almost 1,500 illegal aliens throughout the Commonwealth, most of whom had significant criminality in the United States or abroad.”
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Acting Director Hyde further noted, commenting on the severe criminality exhibited by the detained group, “Make no mistake: Every person that we arrested was breaking our immigration laws, but most of these individuals had significant criminality. They are criminal offenders who victimized innocent people and traumatized entire communities — murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, child sex predators and members of violent transnational criminal gangs. Some were convicted of violent crimes in the United States, and others were wanted for criminality in their native countries. All made the mistake of attempting to subvert justice by hiding out in Massachusetts.”
Also commenting on the successful operation and who it targeted was Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, who said, “We are working diligently alongside our fellow law enforcement partners to make our communities safer through the arrest and ultimate removal of nearly 1,500 individuals who flouted the laws of our nation when they chose to remain here without legal status. Among those arrested include truly alarming criminals: murderers wanted in their home countries, child predators, and drug traffickers. Public safety and national security remain our number one priority, and we will continue to work every day with our partners toward this goal.”
Watch one of the May raids here: