Operation Patriot Nabs Criminals Freed by Massachusetts Policies

Massachusetts is in trouble. Immigration and Customs Enforcement just wrapped up Operation Patriot, arresting nearly 1,500 illegal aliens in a single month. Among them were rapists, kidnappers, and murderers, people who belong in custody or out of the country. Yet, local sanctuary policies let many of these criminals walk free. Why are we allowing this?

The Department of Homeland Security, led by President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem, has raised a red flag. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin put it bluntly: these policies make Americans less safe. She's spot-on. When local authorities ignore ICE detainers, they sidestep federal law and threaten the safety of every resident. This is about protecting our communities, plain and simple.

Consider Marcelino De Leon Yoc, a 32-year-old Guatemalan and registered sex offender. He faces charges for aggravated rape of a child and indecent assault. ICE caught him in Roxbury, but Suffolk Superior Court and Nashua Street Jail ignored two detainers, allowing him back onto the streets. Sanctuary policies made that possible. It's a chilling wake-up call.

The examples are relentless and horrifying. John Tobon Vargas, a 22-year-old from Colombia, faced charges for kidnapping, aggravated rape, and felony breaking and entering. Boston Municipal Court released him, disregarding an ICE detainer. Then there's Denis Javier Aguirre Murillo from Honduras, arrested for rape, witness intimidation, and kidnapping a minor. Bristol County Sheriff's Office set him free despite ICE's request. These cases form a disturbing trend.

Sanctuary policies aren't abstract debates. They hit hard. A 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision, Lunn v. Commonwealth, declared ICE detainers non-binding for local authorities. Since then, defiance has surged. Worcester County saw ICE detainers rise from 49 in 2018 to 94 in 2023. Violent offenders, like a Guatemalan charged with child rape, slip through because of this ruling. The cost falls on us, our safety, our peace of mind.

Supporters of these policies argue they build trust between immigrant communities and police, encouraging crime reporting. But what about the trust of everyday citizens? When a Brazilian charged with rape and extortion walks free despite an ICE detainer, how can anyone feel secure? The idea that sanctuary policies boost public safety crumbles when victims live in fear of criminals these laws protect.

ICE's mission isn't about targeting innocent people. Operation Patriot focused on 1,461 illegal aliens, 790 with convictions or pending charges, think murderers, rapists, gang members. Another 277 had final removal orders. These are serious threats, yet local authorities let them go. With 18,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, federal efforts need local support. Sanctuary policies fracture that partnership.

President Trump's administration has pushed back, naming non-compliant jurisdictions and warning of federal funding cuts. Courts, citing Printz v. United States, say local agencies can't be forced to enforce immigration law. Fair enough. But when Brockton District Court releases Kebler Lasso, convicted of soliciting murder, despite an ICE detainer, that is a reckless choice, one that endangers lives.

Some claim aggressive enforcement, like the Secure Communities program, cuts crime reporting among Hispanic victims by 30 percent. The real issue lies with the policies that let violent offenders stay. Research shows sanctuary counties report slightly fewer crimes, but that means little when cases like Milford High School student Marcelo Gomes da Silva, detained after ignored detainers, highlight a broken system.

The numbers don't lie: 1,500 arrests in one month, hundreds of violent criminals released due to sanctuary policies. The human toll is devastating, families broken, communities shaken. Trump's executive orders pressuring defiant cities are a step forward, but Massachusetts needs to act. Repeal sanctuary policies. Mandate ICE detainer compliance.

Opponents will argue about due process or federal overreach, pointing to the Tenth Amendment. But when Edgartown District Court releases Luciano Pereira De Oliveira, charged with aggravated rape of a child and child pornography possession, despite an ICE detainer, the issue isn't legal nuance. It's public safety. These policies expose communities to danger.

This is our state, our home. We deserve leaders who put our safety first, not political agendas. Honor ICE detainers. Restore law and order. Anything less betrays the people of Massachusetts.