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April 27, 2023Boston, MA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ERO Boston arrests Brazilian wanted for fraud in home country

BOSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested an unlawfully present immigration fugitive wanted in Brazil for fraud in Lynn, Massachusetts, April 18.

“Those facing serious criminal charges in their home country may think they can hide from justice in the U.S., but they cannot,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “When unlawfully present individuals try to game our immigration system in order to run from justice in their home country, we will do our best to prevent them from succeeding in their efforts.”

The Brazilian national, who is wanted for the Brazilian offense of fraud/use of false document, has been unlawfully present in the United States since his visa expired in November 2016. The U.S. Department of State revoked his visa on March 23, 2022.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions made by federal immigration judges.

ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

For more news and information on how the ERO Boston field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission, follow us on Twitter @EROBoston.

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