The wave of federal immigration agents who flooded the Island this spring making mass arrests seems to have subsided, at least for now. But local community leaders and immigrant advocates say the fear among immigrants on the Island remains a strong undercurrent.
At the end of last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that the law enforcement operation, dubbed Patriot 2.0, resulted in some 1,400 immigrants’ being detained in the state in September. And by ICE’s own account, fewer than half of those apprehended have any “significant” criminal case against them.
It is difficult to determine the precise final number of arrests here on the Island over this year of stepped-up immigration policies, but Vineyard law enforcement and pastors at local congregations say it seems to be far less aggressive here in recent weeks compared with the raids reported in the spring during the first targeted operation. That’s when 40 people on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, almost all of them Brazilian immigrants, were reported by the agency to have been detained.
One member of the Island community who has been caught up in Operation Patriot 2.0 is the owner and chef of a popular Oak Bluffs eatery. Newton Waite, owner of Vineyard Caribbean Cuisine in Oak Bluffs, was detained on Sept. 26 in the Cape Cod town of Teaticket on an immigration charge, according to James Covington, ICE spokesperson.
Covington confirmed Waite had come to the U.S. on a visa in 2010 and hadn’t left. Covington said Waite had no criminal record, but he had overstayed his visa. The Jamaican national is currently being held in Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana. He was previously held in an ICE facility in Buffalo, N.Y.
Those who knew Waite and others in the community have been reluctant to speak with The Times, fearing they might be targeted by ICE.
This isn’t the first time a business owner with Vineyard ties has been detained by ICE. According to the Falmouth Enterprise, Geycles (“Jay”) Castro, who owns Minas Barber Shop in Edgartown and Falmouth, was detained in May in Buzzards Bay. A barber who still works at the shops said Castro has since been deported to Brazil, and fears of potential targeting by ICE led at least two barbers from the shop to return to Brazil.
While there have been no reports of ICE activity on the Island during the September operation, the threat of that operation and comments from top federal officials continue to have a chilling effect on the Island’s immigrant community, with rumors of ICE activity rippling through the community and continuing to disrupt daily lives. Some leaders in the community say that Brazilian families, some of whom have lived on Island for years, are making plans to leave, and that some have already left.
The precise number of immigrants who are heading back to Brazil or who are planning to is not known. But Pastor Ricardo Duarte, of Lagoinha Martha’s Vineyard Church in Vineyard Haven, offered a glimpse, saying that he knows of a few families who’ve recently left the Island and returned to Brazil, one from his own congregation. He said that the raid in the spring and the continuous rumors of ICE activity have made many in the Brazilian community feel unwelcome, prompting some to return.
“These are members of the community. They have businesses, they paid taxes, and they are leaving. To me, this is really bad,” Duarte said. “When you see them feeling they are not welcome and are leaving, it is not good for the community as a whole.”
Duarte said that when the government first announced Patriot 2.0 in early September, there was a tide of fear throughout the community that left many calling out of work from concern they could be detained. Children didn’t go to school, and Duarte said that many in his congregation stayed home during church services. As September has turned to October, he said, there has been some sense of relief in the community that the Island was not openly targeted by ICE. But that sense of relief is tempered by fake rumors and false reports on social media that grip the community.
Duarte has also seen members of the Brazilian community who are trying to sign up to receive proper visa documentation after being contacted by the federal government, and told that they would be detained if they didn’t leave the country on their own accord.
“I understand the government has to track down criminals and not-law-abiding citizens, but is it really necessary to disrupt the whole community, the people that have been contributing, generating jobs, paying taxes, helping to build the community — is this really the way to do it?” Duarte said.
Islanders outside the Brazilian and Jamaican communities have also been feeling the pressure of ICE. Vineyarders continue to express solidarity with the immigrant communities. This was evident in the Brazilian flags that were flown at the No Kings rally held at Five Corners on Saturday. Others held placards decrying ICE activity, and what they see as a fascist state forcefully removing Island residents based on the color of their skin.
“It makes me sick to my stomach to see that this has infiltrated our community,” protest organizer Carla Cooper of Indivisible Martha’s Vineyard told The Times. Cooper has lived on the Island for three decades, and said the Island community has always been proud of the diverse community, with immigrants coming from Eastern Europe, Brazil, the Caribbean, and elsewhere.
“They’ve done nothing but come here and try to make a living, raise a family, and they are the target of hate. It’s un-American. For generations they’ve been coming here and no one has said anything. But now it’s a big deal, because there’s a racist in the White House.”
In a press release, ICE defended its operation, saying it targeted transnational organized crime and gangs throughout the commonwealth, as well as “egregious” violators of immigration law. The agency noted that more than 600 of those arrested had “significant criminal convictions or pending criminal charges for crimes committed in the U.S., or were known foreign fugitives.” The release from ICE names 24 individuals specifically, but does not name those remaining. Of the 24, the charges vary from assault and battery to rape, drug trafficking, and homicide; some of the charges are from alleged offenses in the U.S., and others in the country of origin.
According to the release, 277 of those apprehended during the operation had been previously ordered removed from the country by a Justice Department immigration judge, but didn’t comply.
On the Island, there are local groups trying to provide resources to the impacted communities, and Cooper said they are coordinating with state and national groups. She said that one upside has been the growing response to the Trump administration. Indivisible started on the Island about eight years ago with just a handful to 20 people gathering. The protests at Five Corners have been growing over the years, with hundreds, if not a thousand, showing up regularly.
Some here seem to believe that criminality by definition means killing someone. Everything else is not criminality. They also continue to mix legal immigration with illegal immigration and one cant persuade them otherwise. How about a renter who pays his bills and a renter who doesn’t.? Same same.
So are the same people who said nobody is above the law when they wanted the king locked up now saying some people are above the law? Or are they saying if you disagree with a law you can ignore it?
Can you appreciate degrees of criminality, and would you treat one who overstays his/her visa and creates a business and opportunity for others with the same degree of harshness, say, one who commits sexual assault and is a convicted tax fraud ?
The person you speak of was also arrested in a very forceful way and did face their day in court
It’s only fair these people here illegally should also , don’t you think?
“Degrees of criminality” applying to our laws would be entirely subjective and unworkable. A tax evader says everyone cheats at least a little when not declaring all their income. A drug dealer excuses his criminality by saying he’s not selling heroin and he stopped dealing anyway. An illegal immigrant fails to file papers in 30 years and says he didn’t murder anyone. Why have laws and rules at all if there are excuses based on who gets to disobey them?
No one is above the law. It’s not that complicated. Here illegally and you’re caught you’re a convicted felon.
Illegal immigration is prohibited under U.S. law, specifically Title 8 of the United States Code, Section 1325, which makes it a federal offense to enter the country without proper authorization or to overstay a visa. This statute ensures that immigration occurs through legal channels, maintaining national security, economic stability, and public safety. No one is above the law, and violations of these regulations undermine the principles of sovereignty and fairness that govern lawful immigration processes.
Arrested is convicted?
How many of the arrested will be convicted?
Why are we deporting convicted criminals?
Welp, you just proved why the 3rd wife should be immediately deported. She began her visit to America to do modeling and videos on a visitors or tourist visa (ILLEGAL).
The law is the law.
Melania (now Trump) in 1996 worked as a model in the United States and did not have a work visa. The law is the law and she was working illegally.
The point is that there are sane ways and cruel ways to enforce illegal immigration, and the present Administration prefers the cruel way.
“277 of those apprehended during the operation had been previously ordered removed from the country by a Justice Department immigration judge, but didn’t comply”….
What happens if you defy a lawful court order?
Tell us more about the “sane” ways please.
When you know your paperwork is not correct how can you blame officers for doing their job ? Imminent disruption can lead to better choices. Having worked as a CO with dozens of ICE inmates once charges are filed mysteries are resolved. This has happened periodically over the years in Dukes County. Jail has needed upgrades for over a century. Why does that get overlooked for so long ? ICE and general population of inmates need their rights respected.
And what about all the people who have been arrested and they were in a legal immigration process? Of the 350,000 people who were deported this year, how many were in a legal process?
Let’s not forget about the children. The ones zip tied and dragged out of bed in underwear and made to sit outside for hours.
“Covington confirmed Waite had come to the U.S. on a visa in 2010 and had never left since.”You can’t just do that, when did that become ok for us? If I want to move to Tokyo and I just stay is that normal?
As for Ms. Cooper’s remark: ““They’ve done nothing but come here and try to make a living, raise a family, and they are the target of hate. It’s un-American. For generations they’ve been coming here and no one has said anything. But now it’s a big deal, because there’s a racist in the White House.”
There is an immigration process. What is un-American is to skip over it, that seems to be the case if you think laws matter.
Immigration is broken but breaking the law without consequences should be the answer for America
Ms. Chan,
Thank you for your insightful comment. It begs the question to so many of those howling about ICE: Explain to us why breaking immigration law is utterly moral, but enforcing it is completely immoral?
So a bunch of people who are in the country illegally are now worried about getting thrown out? I guess my only response to that would be “Yeah, so”
What percentage of the harassed are illegal?
Let’s find out how many people are here the right way have All came on Visa and never left this pastor is One of them
What really bothers me is that so many people have not a bit of anger or concern for the thousands of missing children and women. Raped, photographed, sold and lost in the sex trafficking world.
It’s okay because you don’t know anyone or care about those unknowns.
People seem to forget that Obama earned the title of “Deporter-in-Chief. This thread is a display of moral relativism. “No moral standpoint is uniquely privileged over another”. And then there is cognitive dissonance and downright hypocrisy. Liberals also don’t seem to mind the “Obamalisk” the most expensive planned presidential library in our country’s history. It’s so self-important it’s fit for a “king”. But I am enjoying all the hand wringing, pearl clutching, and ignorance about the White House getting a balloom, as if this is the first renovation and redo. There were lots! Obama took out the tennis courts and put in a basketball court. Another president put in a two lane bowling alley. If you think about it, a ballroom is an appropriate addition. I’ve seen people sputtering that “George Washington built the White House”.
Dear Jackie,
Just for clarification: “Obama earned the title of ‘Deporter-in-chief'” by a typical leftist tactic. He manipulated language for the purpose of deception. For most people, “deportation” means a person who enters the country unlawfully (or commits a deportable offense in that county even if present legally) is identified, detained, and sent back home. Obama cooked his books by including into the definition those who were interdicted trying to cross a frontier or who were turned away at an actual border crossing. In reality, very few conformed to the common sense definition during his reign.
The photo in this article is someone holding a sign that says “ice is the new gestapo ”
That type of rhetoric put ice agents and detainees in danger ( see bullets used in Texas ice shooting ”
It also trivializes the holocaust. Comparing federal law enforcement doing their job legally to German stormtroopers taking Jews to concentration camps is not only historically inaccurate, but shows you are willing to use the murder of millions of Jews as a cheap way to make an erroneous point
German storm troopers didn’t start by putting Jews in concentration camps.
The original plan was to deport them.
Mary, it is not wise to suggest that deportation is a predicate to concentration camps because Germany did it. Dislike current government policies all you want but these equivalencies are not becoming.
It is very weird to me how many people protest the detention and removal of people who have no legal right to be in the US but these same protesters never say a word or stand at Five Corners to protest the criminal genocide taking place in Palestine against the indigenous people IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY!!
The Gestapo were federal law enforcement doing their job legally.
Thank you, John. Liberals who fancy themselves “humanitarians” continue to discredit their cause by this insistence that non-Nazi behavior is Gestapo-like. I have mentioned here before that it is irresponsible and morally wrong, explaining that this false equivalency is a form of Holocaust minimization and denial. In fact, the “Gestapo” sign is antisemitic and highly inappropriate. Until the new commenting rules were initiated (thank you, MVTimes) there were actual arguments and personal attacks against the noticing/objecting to all the denied but nevertheless antisemitic comparisons of Trump and his policies to Nazis. People still make these false equivalencies though. Whether the argument is against ICE or anything to do with Trump policies of enforcing the law, the minute a liberal plays the false Nazi card, he loses the case. The irony of course is that there are antisemitic liberals who are oblivious to actual Nazi behavior happening in our world, not this newly made-up, altered definitions of words by history-challenged liberals who don’t seem to know about the Gestapo.
I am always glad when others point out the recklessness of false comparisons to the trauma of the Holocaust, even though the offered information has yet to stop even one ignorant person from holding up an antisemitic sign.
Was Obama Right to deport?
Who is paying for Obama’s Library?
Basketball is a sport of the common people.
As is bowling.
Tennis is a country club sport, like golf.
Common people do not go to ballrooms.
This one is the epitome of poor taste, gold plated gaudy.
Why would MVTIMES reach out to Lagoinha Church MV? Lagoinha church is one of the most vocal churches in Brazil for conservative politics. They openly endorsed right winged politicians, including DJT. There are many other churches on the Vineyard and pastors who can rep the immigration community better.
So ICE enforces existing immigration law and suddenly it’s “fascism”? That word gets thrown around so much it’s losing all meaning. “Patriot 2.0” detained 1,400 people statewide, not 1.4 million — and over 600 of them had serious criminal charges or convictions. Another 277 had been ordered removed by judges years ago but just ignored it.
How long is a deportation order supposed to sit on a shelf before someone acts on it?
On Martha’s Vineyard, there were no reported arrests this time, only rumors and recycled outrage. Yet people are waving signs and shouting about tyranny while admitting they “don’t know the exact number.” Facts apparently come second to feelings these days.
Every sovereign country enforces its borders — unless we’re suggesting the U.S. should stop doing what every other nation on Earth does daily.
Enforcing laws isn’t hate; it’s adulthood. Nobody wants families afraid, but pretending immigration laws don’t exist isn’t compassion — it’s chaos with good intentions.
“Chaos with good intention”? From a tyrant who builds a 3 million dollar ballroom (have you ever seen him dance?) while denying food for people who need SNAP? Ripping down the East Wing of the presidential mansion in the process? I don’t think the deportation program has any good intention attached to it. Chaos, yes. And plenty of it; the man seems to thrive on chaos. The Chinese proverb is correct: we are indeed living in interesting times.
Sara, the “ballroom” isn’t what ICE is about, and deflecting to architecture doesn’t answer the question: do laws matter, or don’t they?
“Patriot 2.0” was a statewide enforcement operation — not a Vineyard invasion, not “chaos.” ICE detained roughly 1,400 people across Massachusetts; more than 600 had criminal charges or convictions, and another 277 had ignored final removal orders issued by federal judges.
That’s not tyranny — that’s follow-through.
The larger issue is selective outrage. We all want humane treatment, but there’s nothing humane about telling people the law doesn’t apply if you feel strongly enough. Every country on Earth enforces borders; pretending we shouldn’t is a luxury of those who already live safely within them.
As for “chaos with good intentions,” reading comprehension helps — it wasn’t a compliment to the program, it was a critique of policies shaped by emotion rather than reason. Acting on feelings and hoping someone else handles the fallout isn’t compassion; it’s drift disguised as virtue.
We can dislike the man in the ballroom, but enforcing existing law isn’t his invention. It’s what adulthood — and sovereignty — look like.