A child sex offender and MS-13 gang member were among 40 illegal aliens detained in a federal immigration raid around the upscale tourist destination of Nantucket.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in partnership with other federal agencies, carried out Tuesday’s operation on the Massachusetts islands of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and in Hyannis.
The coordinated effort resulted in about 40 arrests on the two islands that are popular vacation destinations in the summer. Many of those removed had “U.S. criminality,” including a documented gang member and at least one child sex offender, according to an ICE news release.
“Operations like this highlight the strong alliances that ICE shares with our fellow law enforcement partners,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in the release. “ICE officers and FBI, DEA and ATF agents worked together to arrest a significant number of illegal alien offenders which included at least one child predator.”
Other agencies involved include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Our partners in the U.S. Coast Guard facilitated a safe and efficient transport of the alien offenders off Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, ensuring the safety of the residents of those communities,” Hyde said in the release. “ICE and our federal partners made a strong stand for prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our New England neighborhoods.”
USCG provided small boats and a cutter to support ICE operations on the islands. The Nantucket Current posted a video on X of the “people” wearing life jackets and being transported off the islands.
At least 12 people have been detained and removed from Nantucket on Tuesday in a federal immigration raid by ICE and FBI agents. pic.twitter.com/nrGvzdp6L8
— Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) May 27, 2025
The Current captured the video at Coast Guard Station Brant Point when authorities transferred the 12 detainees to the patrol boat, according to a story on the Current’s website. Authorities did not say where the detainees were taken on the mainland.
In an Instagram reel, the news outlet elaborated on details, stating: “In what appears to be the largest immigration enforcement operation on Nantucket in years, federal agents pulled over multiple vehicles across the mid-island area beginning around 7am, taking at least a dozen people into custody. It is not yet clear who was taken into custody or why.”
“For officer safety, ICE does not comment on ongoing operations,” ICE Boston spokesman James Covington told the Current.
The Current reported that vehicles were pulled over by federal agents on several roads and other locations around the mid-island area.
In one instance, a woman was left behind in the passenger seat of a Toyota 4Runner after federal agents pulled it over and took two men into custody. Meanwhile on Fairgrounds Road, island resident Mason Kennelly was pulled over by ICE agents who questioned him before saying they “had the wrong guy.”
The Department of Homeland Security also shared the outlet’s X post, noting, “ICE is removing illegal aliens from ALL states, communities, and worksites across this country. If you are here illegally use the CBP Home app to self-deport. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston, DEA New England and ATF Boston arrested around 40 alien offenders. Federal authorities called it a win for public safety.
FBI Boston is committed to “identifying and apprehending those who are breaking the law by violating our immigration laws and, in some cases, committing crimes that endanger public safety,” said Kimberly Milka, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, in the release.
