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ICE Boston says it picked up a Brazilian national, Heriton Da Silva Aredes, after he had been released three times by local custody in Massachusetts — even while facing a criminal vehicular homicide charge. The arrest has become a fresh flashpoint in the battle between federal immigration enforcement and Massachusetts officials who refuse to honor civil ICE detainers. The back-and-forth shows exactly why weak local policies have real-world costs.
ICE arrest and the claim of repeated releases
According to ICE, Aredes was arrested during targeted operations in Taunton after multiple prior contacts with local police in Middleboro and Stoughton. ICE says he faces a pending charge of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation and that he has a long record of arrests and a prior removal from the United States. Acting ICE ERO Boston Field Office Director David Wesling blasted local officials for releasing him without honoring ICE detainers and suggested earlier cooperation might have prevented further harm. DHS echoed the point, saying under President Donald Trump and Secretary Markwayne Mullin criminal illegal aliens are not welcome.
Sheriff Heroux cites state law and court precedent
Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux fired back that he is following Massachusetts law and the state court decision that limits holding people solely on ICE detainers. The sheriff said the Lund precedent and state rules — now reinforced by the new PROTECT Act signed by Governor Maura Healey — prevent him from keeping someone after bail is posted. That is the legal claim sheriffs and county jails across the state are using to justify noncooperation with ICE detainer requests.
Why the policy fight matters
This is not abstract legal theater. When local officials treat ICE detainers like polite suggestions instead of tools to keep dangerous repeat offenders off the street, people can get hurt. Call it sanctuary policy or local autonomy — the result can be the same: convicted or deported people who return and keep committing crimes. If Massachusetts leaders want the federal government to enforce immigration law, they should stop treating detainers as political props and start cooperating where permitted by law, or change the law if they genuinely believe federal tools are unfair.
Conclusion — accountability and common sense
Everyone wants fairness and due process. But fairness doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to repeat offenders who are accused of killing someone behind the wheel. The bottom line: sheriffs and local officials must be transparent about their custody decisions, prosecutors must be accountable for how cases are handled, and state lawmakers should stop pretending policy dramas help public safety. If the PROTECT Act and the courts really tie local hands, then Massachusetts leaders need to own that trade-off — and voters should remember it at the ballot box.
