Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston apprehended a 61-year-old Jamaican citizen, who was unlawfully present in the United States and a registered sex offender convicted locally of sexually assaulting a minor child. The arrest took place on February 14 in Hartford, Connecticut.
The individual, who had been living in the U.S. without legal status for an extended period, was captured as part of an immigration enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), focusing on unlawfully present sex offenders. Nationwide, ERO officers detained 275 foreign sex offenders between February 5 and February 16.
“This unlawfully present Jamaican national represented a threat to the children of our New England communities,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons.
“Any unlawfully present sex offender constitutes a significant threat to public safety. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our residents by removing such predators from our New England neighborhoods.”
Arrested and released prematurely
The Jamaican national initially entered the U.S. in 1987 as a nonimmigrant but overstayed his visa, violating its terms.
He was convicted by the Hartford Judicial District Court in May 2018 for sexually assaulting a minor and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. After serving seven years, he was released on probation.
Despite an immigration detainer lodged by ERO Boston in February 2017, the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections released him into the community.
Additionally, the individual faced local charges for driving under the influence and attempting to obtain a passport fraudulently under a false identity, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in November 1997.
ERO Boston deportation officers arrested the individual without incident in Hartford on February 14. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
