In September, ICE detained half a dozen individuals on Nantucket Island, three of whom were accused of raping children.
In another case, a Guatemalan man accused of raping a child was released after his ICE detainer was ignored, sparking outrage among Massachusetts Republicans.
Calls for Legislative Action
In response to these cases, Massachusetts Republican Party Chair Amy Carnevale expressed concern, stating, “Not allowing courts to recognize ICE detainers puts the safety of residents at risk and enables dangerous predators to hide within our communities.”
Sheriff Evangelidis advocates for legislation requiring state agencies to honor ICE detainers for a specified period without violating individuals’ civil rights. He argues that such a law would allow law enforcement to better protect the public:
“I would hope people would want their law enforcement officials to have the ability and almost [be] mandated to work with Homeland Security to identify people who are in this country illegally, committing crimes,” he said.
