Donegal man John Cunningham was arrested by immigration and customs enforcement officers in Boston on Friday.
The arrest of a 38-year-old undocumented Donegal man has sparked concern amongst the Irish community in Boston that there could be further arrests as immigration control is tightened in the US under Donald Trump’s regime.
According to the Irish Times, John Cunningham, a former chairman of Boston Northeast GAA, was arrested by immigration and customs enforcement officers in Boston on Friday.
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the US told the Irish Times that Cunningham had been arrested for “immigration violations”.
Cunningham “entered the country lawfully under the visa waiver programme but failed to depart in compliance with the terms of his visit,” the spokesperson told the paper.
The Donegal native has been living in the US since 1999 and hasn’t returned to Ireland for 16 years; he is currently being held in the South Bay House of Correction in Boston.
He appeared in the documentary, The Undocumented, which aired on RTÉ earlier this year.
Clip via RTÉ
Cunningham’s arrest has prompted fears amongst the Irish community in Boston that there could be more arrests of undocumented Irish people living in the city.
Ronnie Millar, executive director of the Irish International Immigration Centre in Boston, told the Irish Times that “people are very, very concerned” and that “people are lying low, trying to keep under the radar screen”.
A recent report on the ICE website revealed that more than 41,000 individuals who are either known or suspected of being in the country illegally were arrested in Donald Trump’s first 100 days as president, an increase of 37.6 percent over the same period in 2016.
“These statistics reflect President Trump’s commitment to enforce our immigration laws fairly and across the board,” said ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan.
“ICE agents and officers have been given clear direction to focus on threats to public safety and national security, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the arrest of convicted criminal aliens. However, when we encounter others who are in the country unlawfully, we will execute our sworn duty and enforce the law.
“As the data demonstrates, ICE continues to execute our mission professionally and in accordance with the law, and our communities will be much safer for it.
You can read more on the story in The Irish Times here.
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