The administration of Donald Trump has launched an action in the US state of Massachusetts to arrest and deport immigrants residing without documents, announced the US Department of Homeland Security, quoted by the newspaper "New York Times" and media in Boston. The department announced its targets as "criminal aliens" living in the state.
The department and the police unit of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ICE) called the action "Patriot 2.0" (Patriot 2.0) after the May operation that led to the arrests of 1,500 people in Massachusetts.
The operation is expected to last several weeks, Reuters notes, citing the "New York Times".
It is not known at this stage how many federal officers are involved.
Boston's "NBC 10" quoted a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson as criticizing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's shelter policy.
"Asylum policies, like Mayor Wu's, not only attract and harbor criminals, but also expose public safety to threats to the interests of law-abiding American citizens. "Arrests are being made of sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers and gang members released by local authorities," the statement, released by "NBC 10", said.