ICE officers arrested at least 82 criminal illegal immigrants in a three-day Massachusetts operation, with federal leaders saying sanctuary policies left communities exposed to predators and repeat offenders.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Enforcement and Removal Operations officers carried out the targeted sweep across Massachusetts during the third week of September. Officials announced the results on Sunday in a social media post and highlighted serious criminal records among those taken into custody.

Breitbart reported the arrests and the sharp rebuke directed at state sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal detainers.

ICE Boston Field Office Director Joseph Sher did not soften the message. He tied the operation directly to local choices that, in his view, put law-abiding residents second.

"Time and time again, sanctuary politicians in Massachusetts have made the dumbfounding choice to prioritize dangerous criminal illegal aliens rather than their law-abiding American citizens. While these politicians continue to waste valuable time, energy and resources passing embarrassingly performative legislation such as the Protect Act, ERO Boston will continue to proudly protect Massachusetts communities from these dangerous criminals."

Sher’s statement framed the Protect Act and similar measures as political theater that drains time and resources while dangerous offenders remain on the street. ICE officials added that sanctuary rules let criminal illegal immigrants move freely “without regard to the crimes they have committed.”

Child predators and repeat offenders topped the list

The agency released names and records that show why the sweep focused on criminal noncitizens. Several cases involved violence against children, domestic attacks, and prior removals.

Robson Martins Da Silva, a criminal illegal immigrant from Brazil, had been convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Officers also listed arrests for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault on a family or household member.

Joao Manuel Matos Ferreira, described as a criminal alien from Portugal, carried convictions for two counts of assault with a motor vehicle. Additional charges included two counts of indecent exposure and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Raphael De Oliveira Batista, a previously removed criminal illegal immigrant from Brazil, faced arrest for assault and battery on a family or household member, threat to commit a crime, and strangulation or suffocation.

Other named arrests followed the same pattern of violence and disorder:

• Ronan Rodrigues Dos Santos of Brazil, assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, threat to commit a crime, and disturbing the peace.
• Cristopher Paul Auqui Cajas of Ecuador, prior conviction for assault and battery, plus arrests for two counts of assault, disorderly conduct, leaving the scene of property damage, and indecent exposure.
• Marlon Alexis Portillo-Garcia of Honduras, convicted of driving under the influence.
• Ricardo Faustin of Haiti, five counts of extortion by threat of injury, six counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense, plus additional larceny and conspiracy counts.

ICE also cited broader criminal histories across the 82 arrests that included assault, battery of a child under 14, possession of child sexual assault material, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, indecent assault, extortion, strangulation, DUI, and larceny. The agency did not publish full case numbers or court dockets in the announcement.

Federal officials say sanctuary rules no longer shield the worst offenders

ICE officials cast the operation as part of a wider shift. They stated that sanctuary policies put American citizens at risk by allowing dangerous criminal illegal immigrants to remain free.

"Sanctuary policies only put American citizens at risk by allowing dangerous criminal illegal aliens to walk the street freely, without regard to the crimes they have committed."

A second agency statement linked the change in posture to national leadership.

"Now, under President Trump and Secretary Mullin’s leadership, sanctuary cities are no longer a safe haven for the worst of the worst, such as child predators and sex offenders."

The Boston Field Office presented the three-day effort as targeted enforcement aimed at noncitizens with serious records, not a random dragnet. Specific cities and arrest addresses inside Massachusetts were not released.

Local non-cooperation meets federal enforcement

Massachusetts has long limited how state and local agencies work with federal immigration detainers. Sher called that approach a repeated choice to elevate criminal illegal immigrants over citizens. He pointed to the Protect Act as the latest example of legislation he labeled performative.

Federal officers still made the arrests. The operation shows that ICE ERO can locate and take custody of priority targets even when local partners decline to help. Prior removal of at least one named suspect, Batista, also underlines that some offenders return after deportation and reoffend.

Exact calendar dates for each day of the sweep remain unstated beyond the third week of September and the Sunday announcement. Custody outcomes after the arrests, formal detainer history, and full sentencing details were not included in the public release.

What the record does show is straightforward. Officers identified people with convictions and pending charges for crimes against children, domestic violence, extortion, and assault. They removed those individuals from Massachusetts streets in a concentrated three-day push.

Taxpayers and lawful residents are the ones who live with the results when local leaders block cooperation and federal agents later have to clean up the backlog. Sanctuary paperwork does not cancel a conviction for assaulting a child.