The Trump administration has targeted Massachusetts as the next location to begin a crackdown on arresting and deporting immigrants, as confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official to NBC News on Saturday.
DHS and its US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arm are calling the operation Patriot 2.0, modifying the name of a May deportation surge that led to the arrest of 1,500 people in the state, according to reports.
A spokesperson for DHS has yet to respond to a request for comment.
The operation is expected to last several weeks, according to the New York Times, citing unnamed sources. One of the sources stated that Patriot 2.0 aims to target immigrants who have been released from custody despite ICE agents’ efforts to apprehend them from local jails.
It is unclear how many federal officers are involved in the crackdown. This comes as Chicago prepares for an increased focus on deportations in the third-largest US city.
NBC10 Boston quotes a DHS spokesperson criticizing Boston mayor Michelle Wu’s so-called sanctuary policies.
“Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also prioritize these public safety threats over the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is targeting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities,” the statement reported by NBC10 says.
Reuters also contributed to this report.
