Homan said officers detained 370 immigrants in Boston and the surrounding area during a six-day operation. He said the effort was led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and also included the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; Diplomatic Security Service; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
“I made a promise at CPAC that I was going to Boston after reading about numerous illegal alien child rapists walking the streets of Boston and Massachusetts. ICE had to find and arrest these illegal alien rapists because Massachusetts and Boston are sanctuaries that refuse to cooperate with ICE,” he wrote on X , formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. “These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer.”
Law enforcement officials seized methamphetamines, fentanyl, cocaine and three firearms during the operation.
“Everyone should agree that we cannot and will not tolerate individuals who not only violate our immigration laws but then commit crimes that endanger our communities. Those who enter and remain in this country unlawfully are breaking the law,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley.
ICE claims 205 of those arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges. Six were foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering.
“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,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Jodi Cohen.
Homan said the Massachusetts arrests included individuals linked to the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios and 18th Street gangs.
Last week, the federal government put 238 immigrants on a flight to El Salvador, claiming they were from the Tren de Aragua gang. Attorneys and relatives have argued some of those people were targeted because of tattoos that aren’t related to gangs. It is unclear if any of those immigrants flown to El Salvador were arrested in Boston, and ICE has not responded
