Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that multiple migrants were arrested during the Memorial Day weekend across various U.S. cities. The arrests, which took place over the weekend, involved operations in Boston, Denver, Houston, Newark, New York City, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. According to ICE, these efforts were conducted by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) units, which have been actively involved in immigration enforcement.
Among those arrested was Kevin Estuarde Hernandez, 18, a Guatemalan national who was detained by ERO Boston alongside other federal agents. Hernandez, who had entered the U.S. without admission or parole, is suspected of being a member of the 18th Street gang. Local authorities in Everett, Massachusetts, allege that he was involved in a gang-related shooting between the 18th Street and MS-13 gangs. The case has drawn attention due to the gang violence associated with the arrests.
Several other arrests were made in different cities. In Denver, Jose Antonio Deras, a 45-year-old El Salvadoran national, was detained by ERO Denver. Deras had previously been denied temporary protected status in 2008 and was ordered removed by a judge in 2,003. His legal file includes multiple traffic convictions and pending charges of sexual assault on a child, according to ICE.
In Houston, Misael Delgado-Carlos, a 35-year-old Mexican national, was arrested by ERO Houston. She had previously been removed from the U.S. before reentering illegally. Delgado-Carlos also has a criminal conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Harris County, Texas, for which she was sentenced to four years of deferred adjudication.
In Newark, Eduardo Sanchez-Hernandez, a 32-year-old Mexican national, was arrested by ERO Newark with support from Homeland Security Investigations. Sanchez-Hernandez, who entered the U.S. without authorization, has a criminal record that includes an arrest and pending disposition on charges of sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13 and other sexual misconduct charges.
In New York City, Litzy Janel Saavedra, a 26-year-old Mexican national, was arrested by ERO New York City. She was served a Notice to Appear, and her legal record includes a 2022 conviction for third-degree felony rape in Yonkers, New York.
Further arrests in Salt Lake City and San Francisco involved Jose Barrios-Bello, who was previously removed from the U.S. and reentered illegally with a criminal history of distributing methamphetamine, and Carlos Torres Valdovinos, who was arrested for a felony conviction of oral copulation of a child in Stanislaus County, California, with a 12-year prison sentence.
The arrests were conducted as part of ICE’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts, which have increasingly targeted individuals with criminal records in addition to undocumented migrants. The individuals detained will remain in custody pending further legal proceedings and removal actions, with some already being sent back to their home countries.
The report also noted that a Texas bill requiring sheriffs to collaborate with ICE has received initial approval from the state house, reflecting the growing political and legal focus on immigration enforcement. This development may have broader implications for how immigration enforcement is conducted across the nation.