Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
ICE arrests more than 370 in Mass. through ‘enhanced operation’
ICE officials said 205 of those arrested had "significant criminal convictions or charges."
President Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan said Monday that federal agents arrested at least 370 people in and around Boston recently, boasting that he followed through on a promise to “bring hell” to the city.
This “enhanced operation” lasted from March 18-23, according to ICE. Homan promised that there is “much more to do.”
The operation and the subsequent publicity are further escalations in the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities,” where existing laws place some limits on the ways that local police can cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Advertisement:
Homan blames local leaders like Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox for willingly letting dangerous criminals walk free. But these officials say they regularly cooperate with the federal government when it comes to the apprehension and deportation of undocumented immigrants when issues of significant public safety are involved. “Sanctuary” policies limit cooperation when it comes to matters of civil immigration enforcement.
One sticking point is ICE’s use of detainer requests, which the agency lodges with local police when it becomes aware that a person being detained is eligible for deportation. Through these requests, ICE asks local police to hold individuals for a longer period of time so that ICE agents can respond and assume custody of them.
Advertisement:
But complying with detainer requests is not mandatory. Even if local officials wanted to fully cooperate with the requests, a 2017 Supreme Judicial Court ruling dictates that Massachusetts officials cannot detain people solely based on ICE detainer requests.
Homan used a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month to blame Cox and other local leaders for willingly releasing “child rapists” instead of honoring ICE detainer requests.
Homan reiterated those claims in a post on X Monday.
“ICE had to find and arrest these illegal alien rapists because Massachusetts and Boston are sanctuaries that refuse to cooperate with ICE. They would rather release these animals back into the community rather than honor ICE detainers or notify ICE when they are scheduled to be released,” he wrote.
A total of 205 of those arrested had “significant criminal convictions or charges,” according to ICE. They reportedly included members of major gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, and six people arrested are foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, and more, ICE said. Agents reportedly seized about 44 kilograms of methamphetamines, 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms, and ammunition during the operation.
Advertisement:
In a release, ICE blamed local jurisdictions for refusing to honor detainer requests. This forced officers to make “at-large arrests” throughout Massachusetts.
A recent Boston Globe report detailed what the operation looked like in practice. Workers were arrested on their way to a construction site in New Bedford, a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico said that federal officials blocked her car and demanded three different forms of identification, and a Salvadorean father of two with a work permit and no criminal record was arrested on his way to work.
In Chelsea, immigrant advocates went to a produce center to distribute “know your rights” cards but found that many people had decided not to come to work out of fear. In East Boston, federal agents broke through the window of a car and forcefully dragged a young man away.
“Safeguarding the integrity of the immigration and citizenship process is critical. We simply can’t permit violent and dangerous criminals to enter or remain in the United States under false pretenses, with unknown allegiances and intentions. It’s a direct threat to public safety and our national security,” Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Jodi Cohen said in a statement. “There’s no question our communities are safer today because of this enhanced, targeted operation.”
Advertisement:
In his post, Homan said he was supporting Trump’s effort to “remove the worst first.” But there are many reports of people without criminal histories being detained.
“At first, we thought they [authorities] were just taking people with criminal records… Now, they have a massive reach,” Adrián Ventura, president of Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores, a group that supports immigrant workers, told the Globe.
Homan called out Wu and Gov. Maura Healey by name.
“These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer. They risked their own safety by arresting these criminals on the street, rather than a jail. Governor Healy [sic] and Mayor Wu should be ashamed of supporting sanctuary policies,” he wrote.
In the past, Healey has said that Massachusetts should not be labeled as a “sanctuary state.” She reiterated that message in a statement Monday afternoon while defending law enforcement officials here.
“Here are the facts. Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state, and Massachusetts law enforcement regularly partners with federal agencies and federal law enforcement to keep people safe. In fact, just two weeks ago, the Massachusetts State Police were brought to the White House and recognized by President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for our partnership in arresting two dozen members of a violent gang and fentanyl trafficking ring in Lawrence,” Healey said.
When reached for comment Monday evening, a spokesperson for the Wu administration said that they could not provide information about the arrests and called for ICE to release more information.
Advertisement:
“Boston is the safest major city in the country, and we partner with all levels of law enforcement to prevent crime and hold perpetrators accountable. Given that we have no information on these arrests, we cannot confirm how many took place within Boston police jurisdiction or in other cities, and we cannot confirm whether every individual was lawfully detained,” the city spokesperson said in a statement. “We strongly urge ICE to release information on all the individuals detained in order to ensure transparency.”
Homan and Wu have a tense history already. When she affirmed her intention to abide by the Boston Trust Act and not have local authorities help with mass deportations, Homan insulted her intelligence and warned her not to interfere with ICE. She was one of four mayors called to testify before lawmakers in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. There, House Republicans grilled her on Boston’s immigration policies.
“Shame on him for lying about my city,” Wu said of Homan at the hearing.
Her performance in Washington earned praise from locals and gave her some early momentum in a reelection campaign where she faces a potentially tough matchup with Josh Kraft. Wu sought to capitalize on the successful hearing in her State of City address last week. She struck a combative tone, referencing “bullies” and “presidents who think they are kings.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com