BOSTON — It hit like a natural disaster.
Federal agents surged into Massachusetts this weekend under Operation Patriot 2.0 — a sweeping immigration enforcement blitz that tore through cities from Everett to Springfield, leaving ICE vans packed and state leaders under pressure.
The enforcement push, officials noted, was aimed at criminal offenders in the country illegally, not legal immigrants who follow the process — a distinction often blurred in public debate.
By mid-morning Saturday, more than 100 people were in custody following pre-dawn raids across Everett, Brockton, Framingham, Lowell, Fall River, and Springfield. The dragnet — first reported by the Boston Herald — brought in reinforcements from Texas, California, and Washington, marking one of the largest federal enforcement operations Massachusetts has seen in years.
Governor Maura Healey took political hits as ICE vans rolled through Brockton, Framingham, and Springfield — exposing her sanctuary state policies while criminal aliens were carted off in a federal storm.
Criminal offenders swept up in the storm
The crackdown didn’t just target visa overstays — it focused on violent offenders and repeat abusers:
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- Everett: 42-year-old Brazilian national Ageu Del Almeida Freitas, accused of multiple abuse-order violations, was arrested as his partner shouted, “Don’t do this! I have a baby!”
- Brockton: A 39-year-old Cape Verdean man facing an assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charge was taken into custody.
- Framingham: A 31-year-old Brazilian man accused of domestic assault was detained.
- Lowell, Fall River, Springfield: Additional arrests were made of individuals with prior violent charges, according to ICE.
“These are the results of sanctuary policies,” said ICE Deputy Director David Wesling, who oversaw Saturday’s sweep. “Rather than an immigration detainer being honored, they were released back into the community, given opportunities to reoffend.”
Activists sound the alarm
In Chelsea, immigrant rights groups mobilized to warn residents — shouting “¡La migra está aquí!” and circulating TikTok alerts about ICE’s presence.
Officials said the warnings endangered both officers and the public.
Mayor Michelle Wu vowed Boston “will not yield,” but critics say her sanctuary shield left taxpayers holding the bag as ICE’s Patriot 2.0 storm rolled through Massachusetts.
“The average person doesn’t want this guy living next door,” Wesling said. “But activists oppose us ideologically regardless of who we’re trying to arrest.”
A surge that’s far from over
The first Patriot operation in May netted nearly 1,500 arrests nationwide — including gang members, fugitives, and homicide suspects. This follow-up wave has already surpassed triple digits in Massachusetts alone, and officials say it’s not finished yet.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons vowed to “flood the zone” in Massachusetts, sending reinforcements from across the country as criminal offenders were rounded up and carted off in vans.
A federal storm rolled across the state this weekend — families wailing, vans filling up, and a message from Washington unmistakable: the sanctuary era in Massachusetts just met its match.
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