Federal authorities recently conducted counterterrorism operations involving eight Tajik nationals who sought asylum at the southwestern U.S. border earlier this year. After their entry, the FBI began investigating potential connections to the Islamic State. This heightened investigation involved close monitoring by dozens of personnel and regular updates to the White House.
Due to concerns about a potential imminent attack, all eight men were arrested on immigration charges earlier this month, with no terrorism-related charges filed to date. These arrests were part of broader efforts to gather information on possible terrorist networks.
In another case, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested a Dominican national in Westborough, Massachusetts on June 20. The individual, who entered the U.S. legally in 2015 but reentered unlawfully later, is wanted in the Dominican Republic on homicide charges. The suspect is currently in ICE custody, awaiting removal proceedings.
Additionally, ICE recently reported the arrests of two other noncitizens: a Guatemalan national accused of raping a child in Massachusetts and an Ecuadorian national wanted in Ecuador on rape charges. These actions come as Massachusetts faces challenges accommodating an influx of migrants under its "right-to-shelter" law, prompting Gov. Maura Healey to dispatch officials to Texas to address the situation.
ICE's Boston Field Office Director, Todd Lyons, emphasized the agency's commitment to prioritizing public safety and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from local communities.