Federal immigration authorities arrested 1,406 illegal alien offenders across Massachusetts during a month-long enforcement operation targeting violent criminals and gang members protected by sanctuary policies. The initiative, named Operation Patriot 2.0, ran from September 4 to September 30 and resulted in the capture of murderers, rapists, child predators, and members of transnational gangs including MS-13, Trinitarios, Tren de Aragua, and 18th Street.
Led by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England, the operation was carried out in coordination with the FBI, CBP, DEA, ATF, DSS, and U.S. Marshals Service.
According to ICE, over 600 of those arrested had extensive criminal records. Among the total, 277 had defied federal removal orders, several carried foreign arrest warrants or Interpol Red Notices, and three were known or suspected terrorists.
Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons pointed to sanctuary policies as the driving factor behind the surge. “Every illegal alien we arrested during the operation was breaking U.S. immigration law, and hundreds were violent criminals who should never have been allowed to roam freely in our communities,” Lyons stated. He criticized local jurisdictions for releasing dangerous individuals instead of cooperating with ICE, forcing agents to make arrests in residential neighborhoods—often in the middle of the night.
ICE reported that six of those arrested were confirmed gang members, and several others were active associates of transnational criminal networks operating throughout Massachusetts. These organizations have long been known to exploit sanctuary cities like Boston to evade federal law enforcement.
Lyons described Massachusetts as a major draw for illegal aliens due to policies that include access to driver’s licenses without ID verification and taxpayer-funded support for individuals with pending ICE proceedings. He emphasized that while ICE targeted specific criminal aliens, many additional arrests occurred when local authorities released others during the operation.
All individuals arrested during the operation remain in federal custody pending removal proceedings.
