ERO Boston arrests twice-convicted sex offender in Connecticut after Department of Corrections ignores immigration detainer

HARTFORD, Conn. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston arrested Sanjay Sivan Walsh, a Jamaican national convicted of sexually assaulting two children and tampering with evidence, on Dec. 17. The 28-year-old served a 21-month sentence in Enfield’s Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution, which declined to honor an ICE detainer against him and released him into the public.

“Mr. Walsh was convicted of committing unspeakable crimes against two children, and he was sentenced to prison for it,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against him so our officers could safely arrest him upon his release, but the Connecticut Department of Corrections officials refused to honor the detainer. Our officers had to arrest Mr. Walsh in the community after his release from prison, even though he was convicted of terrible crimes against children and is removable from the U.S. based on his convictions.”

The State of Connecticut Superior Court convicted him of two counts of second-degree sexual assault and conspiracy to tamper with evidence on June 14, 2023, sentencing him to 10 years in prison, suspending all but the year and nine months he had already served. The court also required Walsh to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his release.

Walsh remains in ERO custody pending immigration proceedings.

ERO is one of ICE’s three operational directorates and the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

You can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.