Federal judges in Massachusetts have granted bond to many of the people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a three-day enforcement operation in southeastern Massachusetts last month, according to a Boston.com report.
Local immigration attorneys, however, said the majority of those detained had no serious criminal records, with some having only minor traffic violations, Boston.com reported.
Attorneys with the Habeas Project of New England filed petitions challenging the detentions. Judges subsequently found that many of the individuals were not flight risks or threats to the community and released them on bond, typically between $5,000 and $10,000, according to the report.
ICE publicly named seven people in connection with the operation and cited criminal histories or charges. Boston.com’s review of Massachusetts court records found mixed results among those named, including some cases with dismissed charges and others that remain ongoing.
Advocates and attorneys described arrests occurring at fish processing plants, gas stations, grocery stores, and other public locations.
An ICE spokesperson told Boston.com that the agency prioritizes the removal of individuals who pose a threat to public safety and that being in the country illegally constitutes a violation of federal law. Attorneys countered that the broad characterization of those detained does not reflect the majority of cases they have seen.
