Massachusetts faces spike in migrant sex crimes as Boston, state pledge resistance to Trump deportations
Massachusetts has been experiencing a concerning spike in illegal migrants arrested for sex offenses in recent months, despite the state and city of Boston’s resistance to President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations. Since August, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officials have arrested 26 illegal migrants in the Boston area for sex crimes against children, including child rape, sexual assault, and distributing child pornography. Many of these migrants had previously been removed from the U.S. only to illegally re-enter the country.
One such case involved Adrian Patricio Huerta-Nivelo, a 25-year-old illegal migrant from Ecuador who was removed by ICE after it was discovered that he was wanted for the rape of a minor in his home country. Nivelo’s removal came just a day after the Boston City Council unanimously voted to reaffirm a 2019 measure restricting Boston police’s ability to cooperate with ICE in deporting illegal migrants. This measure aims to protect immigrant communities from “unjust enforcement actions” and limits Boston police’s cooperation with ICE unless there is a criminal warrant.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has also vowed that state police would not assist in Trump’s mass deportation operation. However, a spokesperson for Healey clarified that Massachusetts is not a “sanctuary state” and that violent criminals should be deported.
Despite these efforts, Boston officials have remained largely silent on the series of sex crimes against residents in the city. Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston City Council did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.
In November, Boston ICE officials arrested six illegal migrants for sex crimes against children, including Salvador Castro Garcia, a 46-year-old Honduran national charged with indecent assault and battery of a child under 14. Garcia had previously been deported in 2001 but re-entered the country illegally. ICE took him into custody after he was released on bail by the Brockton District Court.
Other arrests in November included Felix Meletz Guarcas, a Guatemalan national charged with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor; Belardis Tapia Gonzalez, a Dominican national charged with second-degree child molestation-sexual assault; and Alexandre Romao De Oliveira, charged with rape of a child in Brazil.
In October, three illegal migrants were arrested for child sex crimes, and in September, nine illegal migrants were arrested for similar offenses. These arrests highlight the ongoing issue of illegal migrants committing serious crimes in Massachusetts, despite efforts to resist Trump’s deportation plans.
The state and city’s resistance to cooperating with ICE in deporting illegal migrants has raised concerns about public safety and the protection of vulnerable populations. The recent spike in arrests for sex crimes against children underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue of illegal migration and criminal activity in Massachusetts.
