Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials announced the arrest of Jorge Armando Jacinto, a convicted child molester, immediately upon his release from a Rhode Island prison. Jacinto, who served 14 years for nine child molestation offenses, was taken into custody on December 15 for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde confirmed, “ERO Boston lodged an immigration detainer against him while he was serving his sentence for those crimes, and we’re fortunate that the Adult Correctional Institution honored it.”

Jacinto’s crimes highlight the importance of ICE detainers, which request local jurisdictions to hold suspects for deportation proceedings. However, in many cases, sanctuary jurisdictions “purposefully ignore” these requests, undermining public safety.

This case comes on the heels of another ICE announcement regarding Yordy Centeno-Melchor, an illegal immigrant accused of kidnapping a teenager in Alabama. Centeno-Melchor, deported six times since 2013, was arrested on January 3 for an alleged attempted kidnapping in Holtville, Alabama.

The arrests underscore the ongoing challenges of illegal immigration and the risks posed by individuals who repeatedly exploit weak border policies. Tom Homan, the incoming border czar under President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the Biden administration, stating, “They’re going to do as much damage as they can until President Trump walks back to that office.”

Outgoing ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner also expressed frustration with the current administration’s failure to strengthen border security earlier, stating, “I think the career people in DHS would have liked that.” These incidents highlight the need for robust enforcement measures to protect American communities.