This week, federal immigration enforcement operations in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket resulted in the arrest of approximately 40 people, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agency stated that among those detained were a documented MS-13 gang member and a child sex offender, but no additional information was provided about the other individuals.
Agents from ICE, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Coast Guard worked together to coordinate the operation.
Detainees were transported off-island via Coast Guard vessels, with ICE hailing the operation as a “strong stand for prioritizing public safety” in an official statement.
“ICE officers and FBI, DEA, and ATF agents worked together to arrest a significant number of illegal alien offenders,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director of ICE Boston, in a statement. “Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport… ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities.”
The widespread presence of masked federal agents in unmarked vehicles caused confusion and concern on both islands, according to local outlet Vineyard Gazette. “They questioned my guys looking for paperwork,” Thiago Alves, the owner of L&R Electrical Services, explained. “They are stopping all the work vans… it’s pretty much everyone.”
One Island woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, explained that “they were just grabbing people out of their cars.” At least 20 people were seen being loaded onto a Coast Guard vessel at the Vineyard’s Menemsha station, with the Nantucket Current reporting that at least 12 people were removed from the island.
Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searle and other local law enforcement officials claimed they had not been notified in advance. “We get involved if there’s criminal activity,” he told me. “Things with immigration are out of our jurisdiction.”
Immigration attorney Rachel Self noticed a shift in ICE’s approach. “There are no more priorities.” “ICE is going after the low-hanging fruit,” she said, urging non-citizens to understand their rights and be prepared in case of detention.
