BOSTON — Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger is disputing claims by federal immigration officials that his office refused to honor an immigration detainer for a Guatemalan man living in the U.S. illegally who was accused of sexually assaulting children.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it arrested a 33-year-old Guatemalan man in Lynn who is facing “myriad” charges stemming from several arrests over the past two years, including sex crimes against minor victims.
“This unlawfully present Guatemalan national has been charged with sex crimes against Massachusetts children,” Todd M. Lyons, ICE’s Boston field office director, said in a statement. “His very presence in our community represents a dire threat to our residents.”
The man, who wasn’t identified by the federal agency, allegedly entered the country illegally at an “unknown date” and has been arrested several times since March 2022 and has faced a slew of charges ranging from assault and battery on a child under 14, child rape, reckless endangerment and intimidation, according to federal authorities.
The federal agency initially claimed in a press release that the Essex County Sheriff’s Office “refused” to honor a detainer for his arrest at the Middleton jail, but Sheriff Kevin Coppinger disputed ICE’s claim, calling it “erroneous.”
Shortly after, ICE’s Boston field office corrected its press release to note that “due to a reporting error” the agency “erroneously reported” that the sheriff’s office refused the detainer and clarified that it was the state’s court system that didn’t honor it.
The sheriff’s office said it received an ICE detainer for the man on Nov. 8, 2023 while he was being held in custody in Middleton jail on state charges. The detainer was then sent to Lynn District Court ahead of the suspect’s January court hearing. The detainer was signed for by court officials and acknowledged, according to the sheriff office’s account.
But the man was released from court by a Lynn District Court judge, and never returned to the custody of the jail, Coppinger’s office said.
“We value our law enforcement partners working together to keep our communities safe, but the information that we provide to our citizens must be clear and correct,” Coppinger said in a statement.
Concerns about migrants committing violent crimes has become a key issue in November’s presidential election, with Republicans arguing that a surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border is contributing to a rise in violent crime. Many argue that Massachusetts and other states with ‘sanctuary’ policies are making matters worse.
Former President Donald Trump has ramped up anti-immigrant rhetoric as he seeks the White House a third time, casting migrants as dangerous criminals “poisoning the blood” of America.
The state’s Republican Party seized on the arrest and several others apprehended by ICE on Friday as part of a broader immigration sweep in the state to criticize Gov. Maura Healey’s response to the migrant crisis.
MassGOP chairwoman Amy Carnevale said the “tragic” cases of “criminal illegal aliens” being released to “re-offend” is an example of the Healey administration’s ‘sanctuary’ policies and accused her administration of refusing to cooperate with immigration agents.
“Massachusetts has become a magnet for illegal immigrants facing criminal charges because of our sanctuary city policies that allow these criminals to evade arrest while victims continue to be put at risk,” she said in a statement. “Municipalities with sanctuary policies are jeopardizing their communities, and residents in these areas should seriously consider recent events to understand the actual repercussions of these policies.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com