ICE Conducts Migrant Raids 20 Minutes From Obama’s House

Federal immigration authorities raided locations on Tuesday on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, one roughly 20 minutes away from the home of former President Barack Obama.

Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston, DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested around 40 alien offenders on the two islands, including a documented member of the notorious MS-13 street gang and at least one child sex offender.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump pledged to voters his administration would conduct mass deportations of individuals living in the U.S. without legal status. His term began with large-scale immigration raids, a halt to asylum processing for undocumented migrants, and executive orders aimed at expanding the authority of ICE to arrest and detain those in the country illegally. The administration has been focused on ramping up deportation operations as they look to remove millions of undocumented immigrants. The White House has previously said that they view all migrants without legal status as “criminals.”

What To Know

Around 8:30 a.m, near the roundabout by Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, federal agents detained two individuals from a white work van, while a third worker remained at the scene.

Shortly after, around 9 a.m., federal agents from multiple agencies including the FBI and DEA, conducted another stop near Hillside Village in Vineyard Haven. There, they detained a man in a landscaping sweatshirt and transported him in an unmarked vehicle.

Several individuals on Nantucket were reportedly taken off the island in handcuffs aboard a U.S. Coast Guard cutter.

Federal authorities have not yet released the identities of those arrested. The 12 individuals were transported off the island around 1:30 p.m. aboard the Coast Guard patrol boat Hammerhead.

Barack and Michelle Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard estate is located on Turkeyland Cove Road in Edgartown.

Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, located in Oak Bluffs, is about 8 miles from the Obamas’ residence. The drive typically takes 20 to 25 minutes, as the two sites are located on different parts of the island—the high school is more centrally situated, while the Obamas’ home is in a secluded area.

Hillside Village in Vineyard Haven is approximately 10 miles away from the Obamas’ residence. The drive typically takes around 20 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic.

During Obama’s administration, ICE deported approximately 2.8 million individuals. Deportations increased steadily during the president’s first term, starting with 389,843 removals in 2009 and peaking at 435,498 in 2013. Deportations declined after 2013, falling to 240,255 by 2016—the lowest annual total of his presidency.

What People Are Saying

Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division said in a statement shared with Newsweek: “This operation highlights FBI Boston’s ongoing commitment to supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security with identifying and apprehending those who are breaking the law by violating our immigration laws and, in some cases, committing crimes that endanger public safety.”

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said: “Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport of the alien offenders off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities.

“Operations like this highlight the strong alliances that ICE shares with our fellow law enforcement partners. ICE officers and FBI, DEA and ATF agents worked together to arrest a significant number of illegal alien offenders which included at least one child predator. Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport of the alien offenders off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities. ICE and our federal partners made a strong stand for prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our New England neighborhoods.”

Congressman Bill Keating’s office told The Martha’s Vineyard Times: “Congressman Keating was made aware of the presence of federal agents on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket today by concerned constituents.

“While the specifics of these detentions remain unknown at this time, Congressman Keating encourages any family members of those detained to contact his office so a Congressional inquiry can be submitted to ICE to ensure due process is followed and not, once again, thrown to the wayside.”

Dukes County Sheriff Bob Ogden said: “We were not informed they would be here.”

What Happens Next

The Trump administration is expected to increase nationwide immigration enforcement operations.