Blue state police department complies with ICE detainer in rare case

In a rare case, a Massachusetts police department honored a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer request for a Brazilian illegal alien accused of rape.

ICE Boston apprehended 21-year-old Willian Robert Vasconcelos-Dos Santos in Falmouth, Massachusetts, after he was charged with raping a Massachusetts resident last month.

“Willian Robert Vasconcelos-Dos Santos is charged with horrifically victimizing a Massachusetts resident and represents a significant threat to the residents of our communities,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said. “In this case, we appreciate the Falmouth District Court honoring the ICE immigration detainer and allowing our officers to take custody of Vasconcelos in the safety of a jail cell rather than having to arrest him at large. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our New England communities.”

Vasconcelos-Dos Santos was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol on April 10, 2024, after he illegally entered the U.S. near San Diego.

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Agents served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice judge, before he was released on his own recognizance.

Less than a year later on Jan. 20, 2025, Vasconcelos-Dos Santos was arrested again, but this time by the Falmouth Police Department, which charged him with rape.

ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Vasconcelos-Dos Santos with the Falmouth District Court, and the next day he was released into ICE custody.

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He currently remains in ICE custody.

Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in November that her state police will “absolutely not” be cooperating with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts, warning that she will use “every tool in the toolbox” to “protect” residents in the blue state.

But last month, she changed her tune, noting that her state is not a sanctuary state, despite a 2017 ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court that severely limits law enforcement cooperation with ICE.

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“I still remain opposed on efforts to target large swaths of an undocumented population who’ve done nothing wrong other than they’re here without lawful presence,” she said.

Healey has taken a slightly more centrist position on immigration enforcement in recent months.

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After an illegal migrant was caught using the state’s migrant shelter system for illegal activity, Healey said she was “outraged.” She ordered a full inspection of the system and sent a letter to Massachusetts legislative leaders, urging them to amend the state’s “right to shelter” laws to exclude illegal immigrants.

At the time, she commented that Trump now has the opportunity to fix the border and said, “I hope he does.”

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, however, continues to staunchly oppose the Trump administration’s crackdown.

In fact, she took to social media several times last month to express her anger over Trump’s immigration decisions, saying in one X post that “State & local law enforcement cannot be commandeered for federal immigration enforcement. Despite what President Trump may think, he doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally rewrite our Constitution.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo, Stephen Sorace and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.