Boston ICE Raids: 370 Arrests Amid 'Sanctuary' Clash With MA Officials

BOSTON, MA — U.S. Immigration and Enforcement said it made 370 arrests of undocumented citizens across Boston and Massachusetts — including 205 that ICE said had "significant criminal convictions or charges" — as federal officers conducted what ICE called an "enhanced operation" in the Bay State amid a standoff with state and local officials on immigration enforcement.

ICE said in a statement announcing the arrests that the raids took place from March 18 and March 23, and came after "local jurisdictions refused to honor immigration detainer requests to turn over the offenders and instead chose to release aliens from custody."

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"The Commonwealth is a safer place for our residents to live and work because ICE and our federal law enforcement partners arrested hundreds of alien offenders and removed them from the streets of Massachusetts," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde. "Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around Boston. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the homeland through the eradication of transnational criminal organizations, dismantling dangerous criminal gangs preying on the American public, locating and arresting criminal alien offenders, and making our communities a safer place to live."

The "enhanced operation" came amid an ongoing conflict between the Trump Administration, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Gov. Maura Healey and other state officials over immigration policies within Massachusetts. Wu was recently called to testify on Capitol Hill on Boston's status as a "sanctuary city."

Wu defended the city's immigration and police policies during the testimony — calling Boston the "safest major city in the country."

Federal officials said the recent raids targeted "the notorious MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Trinitarios, and 18th Street gangs."

"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," said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley. "Those who enter and remain in this country unlawfully
are breaking the law.

"My office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that dangerous individuals are identified, prosecuted, and removed, so that the people of Massachusetts can live and work in safe and secure communities."

ICE said 205 of those arrested had significant criminal convictions or charges, and six were foreign fugitives currently facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering.

Officials said they seized approximately 44 kilograms of methamphetamines, 5 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms and ammunition from illegal alien offenders.

Among those ICE said were charged were a Chilean convicted of four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old, arrested in Marlborough; a Brazilian wanted for murder and convicted on gun trafficking charges in his home country, arrested in Worcester; a Russian wanted on gun charges in is home country, arrested in Medford; a Brazilian wanted for failure to serve a homicide sentence, arrested in Marlborough; and a gang member convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, arrested in Wakefield.