Trump vows to fight Trump administration's deportation plan after a migrant was arrested on suspicion of possessing nearly $1 million worth of drugs and an AR-15 rifle at a hotel used as a temporary shelter Blue state governors expressed outrage Monday.
“It is outrageous that this individual took advantage of our shelter system to commit a criminal act.” Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey said in a statement.
Healey was reacting to the news that Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a native of the Dominican Republic, was charged with firearms and drug trafficking while in the state's asylum system. The suspect, 28, was found at the Quality Inn in Revere, Massachusetts, which is now a shelter.
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Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and a group of immigrants at the southern border. ((Photo Credit: Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images and Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images))
Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition with an “estimated street value of at least $750,000,” high-capacity magazines, fentanyl, and cocaine. Boston 25 News reported.
Sanchez is reportedly being held without bail after a Chelsea District Court judge deemed the suspect dangerous. Another local media reported Sanchez came in Last year, he entered the United States illegally and obtained an ID from the New York shelter system.
The governor of Massachusetts ordered an inspection of the shelter after the incident.
“I have ordered inspections of all shelter units, starting with the Libya site, and a complete review of our intake process to determine additional steps to take to prevent criminal activity in our shelters,” Healey said. ” he said. “This further highlights the broken federal immigration system and the urgent need for Congress and the White House to address border security legislation to prevent criminals from entering our communities.”
“Massachusetts should not continue to have to deal with the consequences of federal inaction,” she added.
In 2023, Healy said of his state that immigrants “are drawn here because we're proud to be a beacon for those in need.”
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Massachusetts is among the states overwhelmed by the surge of migrants arriving from the southern border. (Photographer: Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Immediately after the election, Mr. Healey vowed to thwart President-elect Donald Trump's immigration enforcement plans.
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Healey said on MSNBC in November that state police would “absolutely” not cooperate with the incoming Trump administration's expected mass deportations, adding that they would use “every tool in our toolbox” to “protect our people.” I warned you.
“I think it's important that we all recognize that there's going to be a lot of pressure on states and state authorities, and I guarantee you that we'll work hard to make that happen,” she said. said at the time. “So I think the important thing here is that every tool in the toolbox has to be used to protect the people, to protect the population, to protect the country, to protect democracy and the rule of law. This is the basic principle. ”
Mr. Healy's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Immigrants line the floor of Boston's Logan International Airport. (Fox News)
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President-elect Trump's “border czar” Tom Homan has warned state and local officials of obstructing the incoming administration's efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants.
“The president has made it clear from the beginning that he's going to focus first on public safety and national security threats,” Homan said in an interview on Fox News. “If they don't want to help us, stay out of the way, we will.”
Massachusetts is among the states overwhelmed by the surge of migrants arriving from the southern border.
To manage the growing number of immigrants, Healey had to place limits on shelter programs to prioritize state residents.
FOX News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
