U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended a Jamaican national accused of violent crimes in Massachusetts, officials announced.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrested 26-year-old Jahmari Taffari Westcarth in Boston on January 25. Westcarth faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family member in Massachusetts.
“Jahmari Taffari Westcarth stands accused of assaulting and victimizing a family member in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He represents a significant threat to the residents of our community,” said Patricia H. Hyde, acting field office director for ICE’s Boston office. “We simply refuse to tolerate such dangers to the law-abiding residents of our New England neighborhoods. ICE Boston stands firm in our commitment to prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”
Westcarth initially entered the United States illegally near San Ysidro, California, on December 30, 2022, where he was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. He was issued a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge but remained in the country.
Authorities in Dorchester District Court arraigned Westcarth on January 8 for the assault and battery charges. That same day, ICE filed an immigration detainer, requesting that he be held in custody for deportation proceedings. However, the court declined to honor the detainer and released him.
Westcarth is now in ICE custody following his January 25 arrest, as the agency continues its efforts to remove him from the United States.
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