‘Refuse to cooperate': Border czar Tom Homan says he traveled to Boston to oversee 370 ICE arrests
Border czar Tom Homan has had enough.
Homan, who said he is fed up with Boston and other Massachusetts communities not complying with federal authorities who are trying to apprehend hard criminals who are in the country illegally, traveled to Boston in recent days to oversee a five-day federal law enforcement operation.
'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,' Homan said in a post on X on Monday morning.
'ICE had to find and arrest these illegal alien rapists because Massachusetts and Boston are sanctuaries that refuse to cooperate with ICE,' Homan said. '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.'
Guatemalan national accused of raping 10-year-old Mass. girl in federal custody after posting bail
'Mayor Wu later testified that I was lying,' Homan said in his post of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who testified before Congress with other mayors on March 5 about Boston's sanctuary city policies. Wu hired a Boston law firm to prepare for the congressional hearing.
'Well, I traveled to Boston last Tuesday, as promised, and we kicked off a five day operation with ICE, FBI, ATF, DEA, US Marshals and DSS,' Homan said. 'These incredible men and women arrested a total of 370 Illegal aliens in Boston and surrounding areas. A majority of the 370 being significant criminals.'
Homan's statement on Monday calling out Bay State leaders comes one day after Wu pushed back at federal authorities, days after Homeland Security released a video criticizing Boston's handling of ICE operations.
'This narrative that cities, where more immigrants live, are less safe is just simply not true,' Wu told Boston 25 Sunday.
During her State of the City speech last week, Wu said, 'Boston is proud to be the safest major city in the country, and we work with all levels of law enforcement every day to prevent crime and hold perpetrators accountable.'
ICE agents have recently been spotted making arrests in Boston, East Boston, Chelsea, and other Massachusetts communities.
La Colaborativa, a community group in Chelsea, warned of the raids on social media and subsequently shut down its main office for the day, officials said, so that visitors going to La Colaborativa would not be 'targeted' be federal officers.
'This has been an immensely difficult day for our community in Chelsea,' Alex Train, Chief Operating Officer at La Colaborativa, said on Tuesday. 'Immigration and Customs Enforcement orchestrated what turned out to be the largest raid over the last decade in Chelsea.'
18 Brazilian nationals charged, over 100 firearms seized in crackdown on gun trafficking in Mass.
Wu added on Sunday, 'Our city is the safest major city in the country because we are safe for everyone, and because we collaborate every day with the federal government.'
ICE arrests Dominican national convicted of killing pregnant girlfriend in Massachusetts
On Monday, Homan said the 370 illegal aliens arrested in Massachusetts during the recent five-day federal investigation included six foreign fugitives, of which four 'who were wanted for murder or to serve a criminal sentence for murder, along with drug traffickers, child sexual predators and numerous other violent public safety threats.'
Fugitive wanted in Brazil for manslaughter arrested while driving in Massachusetts, ICE says
'These officers and agents made the neighborhoods of Boston and Massachusetts much safer,' Homan said. 'They risked their own safety by arresting these criminals on the street, rather than a jail.'
ICE arrests Brazilian national accused of raping Massachusetts resident
Homan's strong words come after numerous cases of Massachusetts courts ignoring federal immigration detainers for foreign nationals who are accused of committing crimes in this country, and releasing them on bail.
Last month, federal authorities said they arrested a Brazilian national and gang member convicted of assault, after a Massachusetts court ignored the ICE immigration detainer. In another case, federal authorities said that a Massachusetts court twice ignored an immigration detainer lodged by ICE and twice released a Guatemalan national convicted of assault and other crimes in the Bay State.
'Disturbing crime': Man accused of killing Lynn sub shop owner in the U.S. illegally, ICE says
Court officials do not have the authority to hold an individual in custody solely on the basis of a Federal Civil Immigration Detainer, Jennifer Donahue, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Trial Courts, has repeatedly said in statements regarding the matter.
'In order to comply with Massachusetts law, court officers are prohibited from assisting or interfering with ICE agents in executing their obligations under Federal law,' Donahue has said.
'That means that a court officer will not interfere with ICE arresting an individual who has been released,' Donahue said. 'On the other hand, court officers are prohibited from keeping a released individual in custody awaiting an ICE agent.'
Homan, in his post on Monday, had some strong words for Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
'Governor Healy and Mayor Wu should be ashamed of supporting sanctuary policies. Releasing public safety threats back into the public, rather than working with ICE at the jails, puts the public at great risk,' Homan said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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