PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) concluded “Operation Patriot,” its largest enforcement action to date, arresting 1,461 illegal aliens across Massachusetts and Greater Boston—including hundreds of criminals shielded by sanctuary city policies.
👤Who’s Involved: ICE, Massachusetts sanctuary jurisdictions, Boston city officials, and criminal aliens including rapists, traffickers, and a known murderer.
🧾Key Quote: ICE sources say the operation was launched in direct response to Massachusetts and Boston’s sanctuary policies, which have obstructed ICE enforcement and led to increased collateral arrests.
⚠️Fallout: Of those arrested, 790 had criminal convictions or pending charges, while 277 had final deportation orders; local jurisdictions refused cooperation, and activists reportedly interfere with arrests on a near-daily basis.
📌Significance: The operation exposes the dangerous consequences of sanctuary policies, as ICE is forced to apprehend violent criminals on the streets rather than in jails—putting public safety and agents at greater risk.
IN FULL:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has executed its most expansive enforcement operation to date, arresting 1,461 illegal aliens across Massachusetts during a month-long sweep dubbed “Operation Patriot.” Agency sources confirmed that the operation, which concluded on Saturday, specifically targeted the state due to its aggressive sanctuary city policies—particularly those in Boston, where ICE detainers have been systematically ignored.
Of those arrested, 790 individuals had criminal convictions or open charges, while 277 had final deportation orders that had not been carried out due to a lack of local cooperation. Hundreds had previously been released from custody by sanctuary jurisdictions despite active ICE detainers.
The scale and complexity of the mission surpassed Operation Tidal Wave, which took place in Florida and previously held the record for the largest ICE enforcement action with 1,120 arrests.
“ICE has repeatedly warned that sanctuary policies will lead to collateral arrests,” a source said, referencing the fact that agents are often forced to arrest not just the primary target but others illegally present at the scene. The agency has stressed that such policies force enforcement into public neighborhoods rather than allowing for controlled transfers at local jails.
FOX News embedded with one of the 19 ICE teams operating across the state last Thursday. In just a few hours, agents arrested an international murderer, two child rapists—one of whom was living adjacent to a playground—a fentanyl trafficker, an adult rapist, and a child sexual assaulter. All of them had been residing freely within Massachusetts communities.
