U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 4 the arrest of Yoesmith Sosa-Perez, a Dominican national convicted of two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.
Sosa-Perez was taken into custody at the state prison during ICE weekend enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the arrest is part of its ongoing efforts to detain and remove noncitizens with criminal convictions from U.S. communities.
New Hampshire is the only state in New England where local law enforcement agencies participate in the task force model of the federal 287(g) program, which deputizes local officers to assist with immigration enforcement, including serving warrants and detaining individuals suspected of being in the country without authorization, according to New Hampshire Public Radio.
According to local reporting, state and local agencies made 51 immigration arrests as part of 429 total ICE arrests in New Hampshire over the past 15 months. Gov. Kelly Ayotte also signed two laws restricting municipalities from limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement serves as the primary federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the United States. Its Enforcement and Removal Operations division conducts arrests and removals of criminal illegal aliens in coordination with state and local partners. The agency maintains 287(g) agreements with law enforcement across multiple states to enhance operational effectiveness and community protection.
