Operation Patriot nets 1,500 arrested by ICE in Massachusetts
BOSTON (WWLP) – A news conference was held with members of the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to announce the results of 'Operation Patriot', with nearly 1,500 people arrested.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde held a news conference to discuss the immigration enforcement surge operation in Massachusetts. Officials called it 'Operation Patriot,' which resulted in 1,461 arrests by ICE last month in Massachusetts.
Protests held in Amherst following arrests by ICE
In a news release by ICE, more than half of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges, 277 were previously ordered removed from the U.S., but remained in the country illegally. There were 799 offenders charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States or abroad.
ICE detained an 18-year-old high school junior in Milford, which made national headlines over the weekend. According to the Milford superintendent, the student was on his way to volleyball practice with his teammates when their call got pulled over. ICE officials said they were looking for the student's father however, the student was arrested due to his immigration status.
Those in ICE custody will remain pending the outcome of their removal proceedings or their deportation from the United States.
The White House deputy chief of staff recently confirmed the administration's new plan regarding ICE arrests. He says the administration has a minimum goal to arrest 3,000 migrants who are in the country illegally, daily.
The Trump administration claims those being detained have committed crimes, pose a threat to national security, public safety, or have violated the terms of their visas.
'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,' said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. '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.'
'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,' said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. 'Public safety and national security remain our number one priority, and we will continue to work every day with our partners toward this goal.'
'This was a massive, multiagency immigration enforcement operation aimed at keeping our region safe from habitual lawbreakers who have flouted our country's immigration laws and, in many cases, committed violent crimes that have endangered our families, friends, and neighbors for far too long,' said FBI Boston acting Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Milka. 'Together, with our partners, we have identified and removed hundreds of illegal alien offenders from the Commonwealth, including murderers, gang members, child predators and a possible associate of a suspected terrorist, and our work is not done.'
'Over the past month, CBP has worked diligently alongside our federal law enforcement partners to apprehended criminal aliens illegally present in our country,' said Jennifer De La O, director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Boston. 'CBP is unwavering in our commitment to protect the American people and make our country safer. We will continue to ensure that all criminal aliens that violate our laws are taken into custody and removed.'
'DEA is proud to be actively supporting our federal law enforcement partners in these concentrated enforcement operations to remove violent criminal aliens from our communities,' said DEA New England acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau. 'We continue to prioritize our drug investigations on those involving violent illegal criminals, particularly those identified as members of designated foreign terrorist organizations. DEA's mission remains the same: Seize deadly and dangerous drugs before they reach our communities, and bring to justice those criminals responsible for drug manufacturing and distribution.'
'ATF has worked alongside all of our federal law enforcement partners to assist ICE throughout New England during this enforcement initiative,' said ATF Boston Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson. 'We will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months as a part of our mission to keep our communities safe.'
'The Diplomatic Security Service is proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners in support of major enforcement operations like this which undoubtedly make our communities safer and strengthens our national security,' said DSS Boston Special Agent in Charge Matthew O'Brien. 'DSS remains an integral law enforcement partner providing daily support to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system.'
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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