ERO Boston arrests Jamaican national convicted of robbery in Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn. - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested an unlawfully present Jamaican national convicted of second degree robbery with a weapon in Hartford. Deportation officers from ERO Boston's Hartford suboffice arrested the 25-year-old Jamaican national April 3, after he was previously released by the Connecticut Department of Corrections despite the existence of an active federal immigration detainer seeking his custody.

"ERO Boston will apprehend unlawfully present offenders like this individual who have been convicted of serious crimes and who pose a threat to public safety," said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. "Disregarding immigration detainers increases the possibility that convicted criminals will reoffend in our communities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety and seek the cooperation of our law enforcement partners to promote safer communities in our region."

The Jamaican national was admitted into the United States in Miami, Florida, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in April 2007.

In January 2020, the Jamaican citizen was arrested on the charge of second degree robbery with a weapon by New Britain Police.

The Jamaican national was convicted in the New Britain Superior Court in September 2021 and was sentenced to a 10-year state prison sentence that was later reduced to a partially suspended sentence with probation.

In August 2022, ERO Boston filed a federal immigration detainer with the Connecticut Department of Corrections at Garner Correctional Institute in Newtown seeking custody of the Jamaican national.

Despite the existence of an active federal immigration detainer, Connecticut's state Department of Corrections released the unlawfully present felon back into the community Oct. 2, 2023, without notifying ERO Boston.

On March 19, 2024, the Jamaican citizen was arrested by police in West Hartford on charges of making violent threats, breach of peace and larceny, which remain pending in the Hartford Community Court.

Deportation officers from ERO Boston's Hartford field office arrested the Jamaican national without incident April 3. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) 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.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the ICE online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston's mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

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