A Historic Sweep in a Blue State
In a groundbreaking move, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) concluded Operation Patriot on June 1, 2025, arresting nearly 1,500 undocumented immigrants across Massachusetts, a state known for its sanctuary city policies. This operation, the largest in ICE’s history, targeted the Greater Boston area and beyond, netting 1,461 individuals, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers, and child sex predators. According to ICE sources speaking to Fox News, 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges, and 277 faced final deportation orders. Before their capture, these individuals roamed Massachusetts streets freely, raising concerns about public safety.
The Operation Unfolds
Running throughout May 2025, Operation Patriot brought in ICE teams from across the Northeast, alongside agents from the FBI, DEA, and ATF. Fox News, embedded with ICE Boston on Thursday, witnessed agents apprehend a murderer, two child rapists—one living next to a playground—a fentanyl trafficker, an adult rapist, and a child sexual assaulter, all in just a few hours. This surpassed the previous record set by Operation Tidal Wave in Florida, which nabbed 1,120 people. Unlike Florida, however, Massachusetts’ sanctuary jurisdictions offered no local support, making the mission far tougher, ICE sources told Fox News.
Sanctuary Policies Under Fire
ICE officials pointed fingers at Boston and Massachusetts leaders, claiming the operation was a direct response to their refusal to cooperate. “Hundreds” of those arrested had been released by local authorities despite ICE detainers—requests to hold suspects for deportation. Daily interference from anti-ICE activist groups added to the challenge. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, speaking at a June 2, 2025, press conference, urged sanctuary cities to change course: “If they’d turn these violent criminal aliens over to us instead of releasing them into the public, we wouldn’t have to go out to the communities and do this.” He vowed ICE would keep returning to protect neighborhoods from “sex offenders and criminal aliens.”
A Governor’s Outrage
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, reacted with fury. On Sunday, June 1, 2025, she took to social media, demanding answers after ICE arrested 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes, an undocumented junior at Milford High School. “I’m disturbed and outraged,” Healey wrote, arguing the Trump Administration’s actions “create fear in our communities, and it’s making us all less safe.” Her stance highlighted a deep divide, with critics like Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts migrant shelter director, calling her resistance “reckless.” He told Fox News Digital that shielding criminals from federal enforcement fosters “a climate of lawlessness,” endangering both ICE agents and the public.
A Chilling Case in the Spotlight
The same day as the press conference, Lorenzo Lopez Alcario, an undocumented immigrant, was arraigned in Massachusetts for allegedly raping a child with force, with court documents claiming the victim was tied up. This grim case fueled the debate, with Fetherston slamming Healey’s policies: “That’s not compassion—it’s recklessness.” Healey’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
A Nation Divided
Operation Patriot has reignited tensions over immigration, sanctuary policies, and safety. Supporters see it as a vital step to remove dangerous criminals, while critics argue it tears apart communities and targets vulnerable people. As ICE pledges to return, and with no cooperation from Massachusetts leaders, the clash between state and federal priorities leaves the future uncertain. One thing is clear: the stakes—for safety, policy, and humanity—are higher than ever.
