An illegal alien who was charged with assault for the second time in a span of four months after being released by a court in Massachusetts has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency announced Tuesday.
ICE says that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested Anderson De Sousa Almedia, 43, a Brazilian national living in the U.S. illegally, on Nov. 30.
According to ICE, De Sousa was arrested by the Everett, Mass. Police Department on July 6 of this year on charges of assault and battery on a family or household member, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery.
However, the Malden District Court ignored the immigration detainer ICE failed against the illegal alien, and released De Sousa from custody just two days later on July 8, ICE said.
ICE says that while De Sousa was free on pre-trial probation on Nov. 29, he was arrested by the Malden, Mass. Police Department for allegedly assaulting a family or household member and making death threats.
Malden Police honored the immigration detainer filed by ICE against De Sousa, unlike the District Court, and ERO Boston was able to take him into custody, where he will remain pending removal proceedings.
“The Malden District Court released De Sousa in July, the day after ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde.
“He was supposed to return to court on Dec. 2, but while he was free in the community and before his criminal court date, the Malden Police Department arrested him on additional charges of assault and battery on a family or household member, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and threats to commit murder,” Hyde said.
“If the court had honored our initial detainer request, he would have been in ICE custody instead of in a situation where he’s now alleged to have committed further crimes,” Hyde added. “We’re grateful that Malden police notified us before releasing him once again.”
De Sousa first entered the U.S. illegally through the southwest border in Lukeville, Ariz., on July 29, 2023.
ICE says that following his illegal border crossing he was originally released from U.S. Border Patrol custody into the country on recognizance.
