ERO Boston arrests unlawfully present Haitian national recently arrested for assault and battery in Massachusetts
BOSTON — Officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested an unlawfully present Haitian national Oct. 3 in Sturbridge who was recently arrested and arraigned on charges of assault and battery on a family member.
“Those who violate our immigration laws and engage in violent behavior are among those whom ERO Boston prioritizes for our enforcement efforts,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “ERO Boston officers seek to protect our communities. We will continue to focus on the apprehension and removal of individuals who pose a public safety threat to residents.”
The 25-year-old Haitian national attempted to enter the United States unlawfully in Hidalgo, Texas, in July 2023, and was served with a notice to appear before an immigration judge for a future immigration hearing. On Oct. 3, officers with the Sturbridge Police Department in Massachusetts arrested him for assault and battery on a family or household member. On the same day, the a judge in a local district criminal court arraigned him on those charges, which remain pending. ERO Boston officers arrested him without incident; he is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is 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.
Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROBoston.
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