Recent illegal immigrant arrests on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts have captured the nation’s attention.

Over the last month, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made at least six arrests on the islands as part of a larger operation to detain illegal immigrant suspects accused of particularly egregious crimes in the beach towns favored by the Biden and Obama families.

“I think many people are concerned about the violent illegal population. … The biggest thing is obviously not knowing anybody’s history if they’re here illegally. The legal immigrants will even discuss that,” Toby Brown, chair of the Nantucket GOP, told Fox News Digital.

Brown, who noted that most immigrants on the idyllic island off the coast of Cape Cod are good and active community members, including those residing there illegally. But residents are still concerned about those who may be running from violent pasts in their home countries.

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“It’s such a small island that I find that things have gotten a little worse here on Nantucket,” he said, though he also noted there are multiple reasons why crime and poverty seemed to have increased on the island in recent years.

Those are problems the ultrawealthy island residents seem to be removed from, he said.

“I think the ultrawealthy summer people probably don’t see the same thing as somebody who’s living here locally.”

— Toby Brown

“Once again, they’re in big estates. And unfortunately, on Nantucket, the mainstream press, for the most part, would like people to think this place is still kind of just like Disneyland and we have zero issues on the island.”

Oak Bluffs is famous for charming gingerbread houses, a small harbor and, like all of Martha’s Vineyard, extraordinarily high costs of real estate and living. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)

Aug. 23 arrest on Martha’s Vineyard

On Sept. 3, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston announced that it arrested 24-year-old Brazilian illegal immigrant Warley Neto on Martha’s Vineyard in late August. Neto, who illegally entered the United States through the Paso Del Norte border region of Texas and Mexico in 2018, is facing five counts of raping a Massachusetts minor.

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“Warley Neto allegedly repeatedly assaulted a Massachusetts child and represents a significant threat to the safety of our neighborhoods,” ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement at the time. “We are grateful for the cooperation of the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office for prioritizing public safety and allowing Neto’s safe transfer of custody to ERO. Too often local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers and release dangerous offenders back into the community to reoffend. ERO Boston will continue to apprehend and remove the most egregious noncitizen offenders from New England.”

On Sept. 3, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston announced that it arrested 24-year-old Brazilian illegal immigrant Warley Neto on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., in late August. (ICE – ERO Boston)

ERO Boston noted that it requested ICE detainers for Neto on three occasions. After issuing the first detainer, Neto was sentenced to prison but released early, and he went on to allegedly commit more crimes against a child just months later.

“Too often local jurisdictions refuse to honor immigration detainers and release dangerous offenders back into the community to reoffend.”

— ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons

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Sept. 10 arrests on Nantucket

On Sept. 16, ERO Boston announced the Sept. 10 arrest of 28-year-old Salvadoran illegal immigrant Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, who is charged with one count of rape of a child with a 10-year age difference and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. It is unclear when and where Aldana-Arevalo entered the United States.

On Sept. 16, ERO Boston announced the Sept. 10 arrest of 28-year-old Salvadoran illegal immigrant Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, who is charged with one count of rape of a child with a 10-year age difference and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. (ICE – ERO Boston)

“Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo stands accused of some detestable and disturbing crimes against a Nantucket child,” Lyons said at the time. “He represents a significant danger to the children of our Massachusetts communities. ERO Boston will not tolerate such a threat to the most vulnerable of our population.”

ERO Boston officials also arrested Salvadoran national Elmer Sola on Sept. 10, the agency announced on Friday. Sola is charged with 11 counts of sex crimes against a child; specifically, three counts of aggravated rape of a child and eight counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

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Elmer Sola is charged with 11 counts of sex crimes against a child; specifically, three counts of aggravated rape of a child and eight counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. (ICE – ERO Boston)

“Elmer Sola unlawfully entered the United States, then made his way into our Nantucket community before allegedly committing some horrific and despicable crimes against a child,” Lyons said. “The officers of ERO Boston will not tolerate such a threat to the children of our New England neighborhoods.”

It is unclear exactly where and when Sola entered the United States.

Sept. 11 arrest on Nantucket

On Sept. 17, ERO officials announced the Sept. 11 arrest of Gean Do Amaral Belafronte, an illegal immigrant from Brazil who is charged with indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older. 

Belafronte was legally admitted into the United States in 2018 but allegedly violated the terms of his admission. He then left the United States in 2021 and returned illegally at an unknown time, officials said.

On Sept. 17, ERO officials announced the Sept. 11 arrest of Gean Do Amaral Belafronte, an illegal immigrant from Brazil. (ICE)

“Gean Do Amaral Belafronte unlawfully entered the United States, made his way to Nantucket, and allegedly sexually assaulted one of our residents,” Lyons said in a statement. “We have been consistent in our promise to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders. This is not a hollow expression; it is a sincere promise to the residents of our New England communities.”

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Belafonte is charged with indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older. (ICE – ERO Boston)

ERO Boston on Tuesday announced a second arrest that occurred on Sept. 11. Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez, a 41-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was charged with a sex crime against a Nantucket resident. He was arraigned on Aug. 19 for indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older and arrested on Sept. 11.

“Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez was previously removed from the United States following convictions for reckless driving and reckless endangerment,” Lyons said. “He then unlawfully reentered the country and made his way to our Nantucket community to apparently commit a sex crime against a resident here. Perez represents a threat to our New England residents that we cannot tolerate.”

Gomez was previously arrested in 2011 for reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person. He was sentenced to one year of probation, and the Justice Department ordered his removal from the United States back to Guatemala. It is unclear when and where Gomez re-entered the United States.

Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez, a 41-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was charged with a sex crime against a Nantucket resident.  (ICE – ERO Boston)

Sept. 12 arrest

ERO Boston on Thursday announced the Sept. 12 arrest of 30-year-old, Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and documented member of MS-13.

“Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia unlawfully entered the United States then made his way to Massachusetts, to apparently commit crimes of violence,” Lyons said. “To make matters worse, Deras-Mejia is a documented member of a notorious transnational criminal organization and represents a significant threat to the residents of Nantucket.”

ERO Boston on Thursday announced the Sept. 12 arrest of 30-year-old, Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and documented member of MS-13. (ICE ERO-Boston)

The recent ICE operations on the islands compare to similar previous stings. The agency arrested three people in 2012 and four in 2017 during comparable operations, according to the Nantucket Current.

Massachusetts has a number of cities that qualify as so-called “sanctuary cities,” where local law enforcement officials do not always cooperate with federal authorities’ detainer requests.

A June report from the Center for Immigration Studies estimated that the number of “illegal and inadmissible” migrants living in Massachusetts is about 355,000 with 50,000 new arrivals since 2021. It also reported that 10,000 migrants were minors with 8,500 being unaccompanied.

Two years ago, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planes carrying illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard as part of “the state’s relocation program to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” the governor’s communications director, Taryn Fenske, told Fox News Digital at the time.

“States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden administration’s open border policies,” she said.

The last weekend of September ends on a mostly dry note as high pressure builds into New England from the north.  No major weather issues are expected during the 48 hour period which is great news if you have any outdoor plans but a light jacket or sweatshirt should be kept close by.

We’ll see a good amount of mid to high level clouds dimming out the sunshine this afternoon across southern New England, a stray shower or sprinkle may sneak in from the south across CT & western MA, but  with dry air in place, it’ll be tough for them to move much further than that. 

To the north, we’ll see a good amount of blue sky which will be great backdrop for taking some pictures of the peak foliage occurring across portions of northern Vermont to northern Maine!  Highs today reach the mid to upper 60s at the coast, low to mid 70s well inland.

Quiet overnight tonight with mid to high level clouds blanketing much of the region preventing temperatures from dropping too low.  Patchy fog will likely develop across many of the valleys inland and along the immediate coast.  Lows in the 50s with a few 40s showing up inland and across northern New England.

Sunday will be similar to today with more in the way of clouds and the slight risk for a shower or sprinkle across CT & western MA again.  Temperatures will be slightly cooler with highs in the mid 60s along the coast, upper 60s to around 70 inland.

Our dry and close to seasonable stretch continues into the beginning of next week as high pressure stays in control with temps close to 70 Monday, back in the 60s Tuesday.  It’s not until late Tuesday into Wednesday when we see our next chance for showers as a cold front approaches from the west. 

Earlier thoughts were for it to pick up some moisture from the remnant of Helene, which is not nearly as devastating as it once was, and deliver us some much-needed H20, but it now looks like it will kick Helene’s remnant south of New England resulting in scattered showers rather than widespread showers which is featured on our Exclusive 10-Day Forecast!

Have a great afternoon!

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is no stranger to the record book, as his name is attached to three NFL records and 5 Steelers records.

One of Watt’s records as a Steeler is total sacks, of which Watt has 99.5 through 107 games as a Steeler. He also boasts a tied NFL record for sacks in a season, 22.5, which he shares with Michael Strahan.

That being said, this weekend’s matchup against the Colts presents Watt with an opportunity to add more to his legacy. With at least 0.5 of a sack this weekend, Watt would join the 100-sack club, a group that contains just 43 members.

The all-time NFL sack leader is Bruce Smith, who finished his career with 200 sacks. J.J. Watt, T.J.’s brother, is 24th all-time with 114.5 sacks. It seems like a distinct possibility that T.J. passes his brother’s mark, as T.J. has had 15 sacks in three seasons of his career.

However, the important distinction to make here is that Watt would become the second fastest player to reach 100 sacks, behind Reggie White, who did it in 96 games. If Watt gets a sack this weekend, he will do it in 108 games.

Watt would also become the third player to ever reach 100 sacks before the age of 30, joining Jared Allen and White in that even smaller group.

Watt already has three seasons where he has led the NFL in sacks, and it is possible he reaches that mark once again. With Watt’s 15 sacks being the NFL best in 2020, a regression by Watt this season could still see him top the league. With Aidan Hutchinson already having 6.5 sacks so far this season, Watt leading the league could prove unlikely, but a dominant game against the Colts could turn everything around.

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