The Boston Field Office Director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in an interview that due to lack of resources, ICE cannot deal with every public safety threat, having to choose between going after a child rapist or a repeat deported drug dealer.
When asked how ICE was not notified about the release of a child rapist, the director responded that in Massachusetts and most sanctuary jurisdictions, that is typically how it works due to sanctuary policies preventing cooperation.
Lyons said, “I don’t have enough officers or resources to tackle every one of these public safety threats. Are we going after the child rapists today, or are we going to go after that two-times deported fentanyl dealer? Because we can’t get both.”
ICE stressed that recent arrests of illegal immigrants charged with crimes occurred because local authorities did not honor detainer requests to hold them due to sanctuary policies, and all suspects will remain in ICE custody pending local charges before seeking deportation.
Melugin asked, “How are you guys not notified about a child rapist being released?”
Lyons said, “Unfortunately, in Massachusetts, that’s how it is with most of these sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Melugin said, “And ICE says all of those arrests you saw happened because local authorities ignored their detainer request to keep these guys in custody due to sanctuary policies. ICE says all of those suspects will remain in federal custody until their local charges are resolved, then ICE will seek to deport every single one of them.”
