ERO Boston apprehends Bangladeshi citizen arrested locally for sexual assault of minors

HARTFORD, Conn. — Deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston’s Hartford office apprehended an unlawfully present Bangladeshi national recently arrested by Connecticut police for sexual abuse of minors. Deportation officers arrested the 47-year-old in Litchfield April 22.

“This unlawfully present individual allegedly brought harm to our Connecticut communities by sexually assaulting several children,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons. “ERO Boston will continue to work with our local partners to prioritize the safety of the members of our New England communities.”

On Oct. 12, 2017, U.S. Customs and Border Protection admitted the Bangladeshi citizen into the United States for the purpose of transiting through the country. He violated the terms of his admittance when he remained in the United States beyond Nov. 9, 2017.

Connecticut State Police arrested the Bangladeshi national April 2 and charged him with multiple counts of commercial sex abuse, illegal sexual contact with a minor, fourth degree sexual assault, risk of injury to child and illegal sale of tobacco to a person under 21 years of age.

On April 20, ICE lodged an immigration detainer seeking his custody with the Connecticut Department of Corrections at the New Haven Correctional Center in New Haven. Officials arrested him April 22, and he will remain in ICE custody pending a future gearing before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge.

As part of its mission to identify and arrest removable noncitizens, ERO lodges immigration detainers against noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody. Detainers request that state or local law enforcement agencies maintain custody of the noncitizen for a period not to exceed 48 hours beyond the time the individual would otherwise be released, allowing ERO to assume custody for removal purposes in accordance with federal law.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO Boston’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)