Dangerous illegal immigrants in the US outnumber the entire population of Boston: MassGOP

More than 660,000 non-citizens with criminal histories are on ICE’s national list, a “staggering” number that the Massachusetts Republican Party says is larger than the “entire population of Boston.”

In July, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recorded 662,566 illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. Of these, 435,719 are convicted criminals and 226,847 have criminal proceedings pending.

That’s according to new national data released last week by Deputy Director Patrick L. Lechleitner, who provided the numbers to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose southwest Texas district borders Mexico.

According to World Population Review, Boston’s population is 654,423 in 2024.

Massachusetts GOP spokesman Logan Trupiano highlighted the discrepancy in a statement to the Herald on Saturday, criticizing Democratic elected officials who, he said, “often appeal to emotion rather than dealing with the reality of the situation.” .

“People need to understand that this is exactly what we mean when Republicans discuss the dangers of lax immigration policies,” Trupiano said. “It’s serious and dangerous.”

More than 150 Democrats in Congress, including all but an all-Democratic delegation from Massachusetts, rejected a bipartisan bill in mid-September to combat sex crimes and violence by undocumented immigrants.

A Herald analysis of news releases issued by ICE since early August found that at least 30 illegal immigrants have faced legal consequences for a range of crimes across Massachusetts in recent months.

ICE Boston conducted a multi-day “targeted” operation on Nantucket earlier this month and took five illegal immigrants into custody.

The charges ranged from disorderly conduct and two counts of assault on a household member to 11 alleged sex crimes, including aggravated rape of a child.

State Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Cape and Islands, told the Herald that he has spoken with city and public safety officials and offered his support.

“Criminal activity should not be tolerated anywhere and by anyone – regardless of immigration status,” Cyr said in a statement emailed from his office. “I am grateful that these individuals have been arrested and no longer pose a threat to public safety on the island, and my thoughts are with the victims of these heinous crimes.”

Massachusetts Republican and Cape and Islands Republican candidate Christopher Lauzon criticized Cyr for what they called a “deafening silence” in response to the arrests on Nantucket.

Lauzon also complained that several arrests involved illegal immigrants who had previously been charged with crimes but were released back into the community after posting bail.

“I cannot imagine why any court would ignore ICE detainees for those who have committed such heinous crimes,” he said in a statement. “The failure of the Democratic supermajority to protect our communities is inexcusable.”

Gov. Maura Healey’s administration announced in late July that it expects to spend more money than initially expected on the emergency shelter system for migrants and local families this fiscal year.

If case numbers remain the same, costs associated with shelters are expected to exceed $1 billion. That’s an increase from the $915 million that state budget writers originally expected and a sign that officials are not forecasting a decline in demand.

Schools are affected. One district, Norfolk, faced an “unforeseen change” earlier this month when officials in the Boston-area city reported that 20 children housed in a former prison may be accepted into local schools.

The same day, Healey announced nearly $2 million in federal funding to help dozens of districts address the challenges.

Paul Diego Craney, spokesman for the state watchdog Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, is calling on Healey, Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka to “reverse some of the state policies that are attracting these predictors to Massachusetts.”

“The most important job of government is to protect its citizens,” Craney said in a statement to the Herald on Saturday. “Our nation’s open southern border, with Massachusetts’ very generous welfare benefits and the only nationwide right to accommodate illegal and unauthorized immigrants, has created a situation in which the government is failing to protect its citizens.”

Originally published: September 28, 2024 at 8:08 p.m