ICE Launches Major Operation Arresting Illegal Aliens Previously Released in Sanctuary Massachusetts
ICE detains drug traffickers and violent offenders among illegal aliens after Massachusetts authorities ignore federal detainers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested several undocumented immigrants across Massachusetts in the past week, citing failures by local jurisdictions to honor federal detainers due to the state’s sanctuary policies. The arrests include individuals previously convicted or charged with serious offenses ranging from solicitation to commit murder to drug trafficking.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say that the latest enforcement actions were necessary to remove dangerous criminals from Massachusetts’ streets. In a statement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized local sanctuary policies, stating, “These sanctuary politicians are playing Russian roulette with American lives. While Massachusetts leaders release criminal aliens onto America’s streets, President Trump and Secretary Noem are arresting them and getting them out of our country.”
Among those arrested was Kleber Lasso, an Ecuadorian national who, according to DHS, was convicted in 2018 for soliciting to commit murder. Despite his conviction and a one-year jail sentence, Brockton District Court reportedly released Lasso in defiance of an ICE detainer request. Local court officials declined to comment on the specifics of Lasso’s release.
A spokesperson for the Massachusetts court system emphasized the legal constraints faced by state officers, noting:
- Massachusetts law prohibits holding individuals solely for federal civil immigration detainers.
- Court officers cannot interfere with ICE agents but also cannot detain anyone solely awaiting ICE pickup after court-ordered release.
“In order to comply with Massachusetts law, court officers are prohibited from assisting or interfering with ICE agents in executing their obligations under Federal law,” the spokesperson explained.
Another recent case involves Senat Dufren, a Haitian national previously arrested in Roxbury for assault and battery and malicious destruction of property. Despite an ICE detainer placed with the Nashua Street Jail, Dufren was released by local authorities. He was subsequently rearrested for assault and battery involving a pregnant woman and other domestic offenses.
DHS also reported the arrest of Lusbel Lopez Feliz, a Dominican national with multiple criminal charges related to drug distribution. Lopez faced seven heroin/fentanyl distribution charges and five separate arraignments for cocaine distribution throughout the state. Once again, local authorities did not honor an ICE hold following a previous arrest.
Critics of sanctuary policies argue that the refusal to honor ICE detainers allows repeat offenders to remain at large, potentially putting communities at risk. Supporters, meanwhile, maintain that local compliance with federal immigration holds violates state law and raises constitutional concerns.
The debate over sanctuary policies continues to intensify as federal officials and some state leaders clash over public safety and the limits of local versus federal authority. These recent arrests have reignited calls from both sides to revisit the relationship between immigration enforcement and local policing across Massachusetts and beyond.