82 Criminal Aliens Arrested by ICE in Sanctuary Massachusetts During Three-Day Operation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested at least 82 illegal aliens during a three-day targeted enforcement operation in the sanctuary state of Massachusetts. Those arrested include criminal aliens with charges that include assault, battery of a child under age 14, possession of child sexual assault material, and other dangerous criminal activity.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers rounded up at least 82 criminal aliens during the three-day operations, ICE officials announced on Sunday in a post on social media. Officials stated that the illegal aliens arrested also included people with criminal histories that included assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, indecent assault, extortion by threat of injury, strangulation or suffocation,  driving under the influence, and larceny.

ICE Boston Field Office Director Joseph Sher harshly criticized Massachusetts officials for their sanctuary policies, stating:

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.

Officials offered the following examples of those arrested during the targeted enforcement operation:

• Robson Martins Da Silva, a criminal illegal alien from Brazil, was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Da Silva has also been arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault on a family or household member. +
• Ronan Rodrigues Dos Santos, a criminal illegal alien from Brazil, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, threat to commit a crime, and disturbing the peace.
• Joao Manuel Matos Ferreira, a criminal alien from Portugal, was convicted of two counts of assault with a motor vehicle. He was also arrested for 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 alien from Brazil who was arrested for assault and battery on a family or household member, threat to commit a crime, and strangulation or suffocation.
• Cristopher Paul Auqui Cajas, a criminal illegal alien from Ecuador who was convicted of assault and battery. He was also arrested for two counts of assault, disorderly conduct, leaving the scene of property damage, and indecent exposure.
• Marlon Alexis Portillo-Garcia, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, was convicted of driving under the influence.
• Ricardo Faustin, a criminal illegal alien from Haiti, was arrested for five counts of extortion by threat of injury, six counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense, larceny under $1,200, larceny by single scheme, and conspiracy.+

The operation took place during the third week of September, officials reported.

“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,” ICE officials stated. “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 targeted sweep underscores the ongoing friction between federal immigration authorities and sanctuary jurisdictions like Massachusetts, where state and local policies often limit cooperation with federal detainers. As ICE continues to prioritize the apprehension of noncitizens with severe criminal records, federal officials maintain that such targeted operations remain essential to removing high-risk offenders from public communities—regardless of local sanctuary protections.