Officers of ICE Boston worked alongside agents of FBI Boston, DEA New England, DHS, ATF Boston, and the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday in arresting around 40 illegal aliens between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Many of those arrests had previously been arrested, including a documented member of MS-13 and at least one child sex offender. No names of arrested individuals were provided.
Kimberly Milka, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division, provided details about the operation:
“This operation highlights FBI Boston’s ongoing commitment to supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security with identifying and apprehending those who are breaking the law by violating our immigration laws and, in some cases, committing crimes that endanger public safety.”
This isn’t even the first time that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been to the Vineyard. Last September, ICE reported that it arrested a Salvadoran man who was wanted for “crimes against humanity” and a Brazilian man wanted for international drug trafficking.
As much as this may be a resounding success for the Trump administration, it was still met with backlash from some island residents who held up signs that read “ICE is on the Island” in an attempt to warn the current illegal immigrant population on the island.
In a video shared online, an officer with the FBI is seen talking to a local business owner on Martha’s Vineyard who confirmed that immigrants legally present in the U.S. need not fear ICE.
Thiago Alves, owner of L&R Electrical Services, confirmed that one of his workers had been stopped by officers who were with the FBI and ICE.
The man who had been pulled over, who Alves said has a green card, was let go after questioning. Officers were interested in his documentation and respected it.
Alves further commented “My guy said they are stopping all the work vans,” and that “It’s nothing against [us], it’s pretty much everyone.”
According to Alves, ICE is respecting immigrants and their documentation as it continues its work to secure the nation’s borders.