BOSTON, Mass.—Two illegal immigrants—one from Brazil and another from Haiti—were arrested and charged recently for sexual crimes against children in Massachusetts, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced. The arrests came as lawmakers call for transparency surrounding the state’s immigration budget.
ICE announced on Sept. 4 that Enforcement and Removal (ERO) Boston arrested Akim Marc Desire, 18, of Haiti, who was charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in Massachusetts.
According to ICE, Desire “lawfully entered the United States June 4, 2023; however he violated the terms of his lawful entry.”
“Akim Marc Desire allegedly victimized a minor member of our Massachusetts community,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons in a press release. “We cannot tolerate such a potentially dire threat to the welfare of children in our community. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”
ICE did not respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times.
The announcement of the arrest of the Haitian national was made a day after the agency publicized the arrest of an illegal immigrant from Brazil, who was charged with five counts of rape of a minor in Massachusetts.
Warley Neto, 24, was arrested after the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office cooperated with ICE and honored ERO’s immigration detainer—a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement to notify ICE as soon as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody. Detainers allow ERO to assume custody for removal purposes in accordance with federal law.
“Warley Neto allegedly repeatedly assaulted a Massachusetts child and represents a significant threat to the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Lyons in a press release.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office for prioritizing public safety and allowing Neto’s safe transfer of custody to ERO,“ Lyons said. ”Too often local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers and release dangerous offenders back into the community to reoffend.”
Neto unlawfully entered the United States near Paso Del Norte, Texas, on March 11, 2018, according to ICE. The following day, Border Patrol served Neto with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. He was released from custody on March 13, 2018.
Neto was arrested by the Edgartown, Massachusetts, Police Department on Feb. 18, 2023 for strangulation or suffocation, assault and battery on a family household member, and a threat to commit a crime. ERO then lodged an immigration detainer on him.
Neto was found guilty of the charges in June of 2023. The Edgartown District Court sentenced him to 364 days in prison, but suspended all but 90 days of the sentence.
Neto was then arrested by the Tisbury Police Department on Jan. 12, 2024, and charged on five counts of rape of a child and five counts of enticing a minor under 15, according to ICE. The charges were then elevated to Dukes County Superior Court, and the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office honored ERO’s immigration detainer and transferred him to ERO custody.
Both Desire and Neto are still in ERO custody.
On Aug. 27, Massachusetts Republicans submitted a freedom of information request seeking full details on spending related to the program as well as information on “600 incidents involving police, fire, and medical emergencies in state-funded emergency housing,” according to a press release.
Healey did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment on the recent arrests.
