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Brazilian illegal immigrant convicted of armed assault to murder had been ordered deported 4 years ago — was still walking around Massachusetts

Wednesday, March 11, 2026•
3 min read
MDN Staff
•
Brazilian illegal immigrant convicted of armed assault to murder had been ordered deported 4 years ago — was still walking around Massachusetts

Rogerio Thomaz-Dos Reis Silva's criminal record includes armed assault to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and gross lewdness. An immigration judge ordered him removed in January 2022.

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BOSTON — A Brazilian illegal immigrant convicted of armed assault to murder was arrested by ICE Boston last week — more than four years after an immigration judge ordered him deported.
Rogerio Thomaz-Dos Reis Silva was taken into custody on March 5 during enforcement operations in Massachusetts, according to ICE Boston.
His criminal record is staggering: armed assault to murder — meaning he was convicted of attempting to kill someone with a weapon — along with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing bodily injury, and gross lewdness.

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And he wasn't supposed to be here at all. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal on Jan. 22, 2022. That was more than four years ago. Silva ignored it. And somehow, despite a conviction for trying to kill someone, he remained free in Massachusetts.
"These are the dangerous criminals that sanctuary politicians will fight to protect," ICE Boston wrote.
Under Massachusetts law, armed assault to murder carries a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison. The charge requires proof that the defendant intended to kill the victim and was armed with a dangerous weapon at the time.
The arrest follows a pattern of ICE operations in Massachusetts targeting illegal immigrants with violent criminal histories. Last week, the agency arrested a Honduran illegal immigrant convicted of attempted assault, illegal gun possession, narcotics trafficking, and escaping custody. In a separate case, a Colombian cocaine trafficker who was deported in 2022 but returned by 2023 was also taken into custody.
Silva's case — a convicted would-be killer with a four-year-old deportation order living freely in the state — raises the same question ICE has been asking for months: how does this keep happening?
Silva is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

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