BOSTON — Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A previously deported gangbanger slips back into the U.S., hides out in Massachusetts thanks to sanctuary laws, racks up new charges — and ICE has to clean up the mess.

That’s exactly what happened with Arsenio Valladares, a 44-year-old Salvadoran national who was deported in 2008 after convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a police officer, operating under the influence, larceny, and malicious destruction of property.

Despite a rap sheet straight out of a crime drama, Valladares slipped back into the country and lived undetected in Massachusetts. According to ICE, he was arrested by federal agents in March 2025 after his fingerprints were flagged during a new criminal case in the state.

On July 7, Valladares pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. He will also be subject to deportation after serving his sentence.

“Not only did Arsenio Valladares display a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration laws; his presence in our community placed the safety of our residents in danger,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston.

But federal officials weren’t the only ones sounding the alarm.

“We’re protecting criminals instead of the public,” one furious Boston resident told MDN. “This is what sanctuary laws get you.”

Thanks to Massachusetts’ sanctuary policies, local police are banned from working with ICE — even when dangerous felons resurface. The result? Criminal aliens pour into the state, shielded from removal, while taxpayers pick up the tab.

Both Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey have championed Massachusetts as a “safe haven” for illegal aliens — but critics say that rhetoric has turned the state into a magnet for violent offenders like Valladares. While they roll out talking points about inclusion, it’s ICE — not their own agencies — cleaning up the fallout.

ICE says it only became aware of Valladares’ return to the U.S. after his fingerprints were submitted in connection with a new case in Massachusetts last fall. Until that point, he had been living undetected in the state.

Valladares is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. According to ICE, he will be removed from the country again upon completion of any sentence imposed.

The agency encourages the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or submitting an online tip.

In the meantime, critics say this is what happens when you elect activists, not leaders. They turn your neighborhood into a holding cell — and call it justice.

BONUS READ:

This isn’t the first time a deported criminal alien resurfaced in Massachusetts.

Early this month, MDN reported on another ICE arrest — a twice deported Guatemalan national caught in New Bedford with multiple criminal convictions. Same pattern. Same sanctuary laws. Same silence from Beacon Hill.

Got a tip about criminal aliens hiding in your neighborhood or another scandal the Wu administration hopes no one notices?

Email us at tips@massdailynews.com — we’re listening, even if City Hall isn’t.