An illegal immigrant from El Salvador wanted for homicide, human trafficking, resisting arrest and other charges has been apprehended by federal immigration officials in the same Massachusetts city where Gov. Maura Healey signed the Protect Act into law.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tells the Herald that agents with ICE Boston arrested Leonel Santos-Diaz during targeted operations in Chelsea on September 2. The federal agency says Santos-Diaz, who has been deported and illegally re-entered the U.S. twice, was arrested in El Salvador on aggravated homicide, illegal human trafficking, sexual aggression and disorderly conduct charges.
“Sadly, this is yet another example of what the dishonest media will portray as a non-criminal arrest, despite Leonel Santos-Diaz being charged with aggravated homicide and human trafficking in his home country. The ironically named ‘Protect Act’ in Massachusetts is designed to shield individuals like Santos-Diaz from arrest and deportation. Do any Massachusetts residents really feel protected by his presence in their community?” acting ICE Boston Field Office Director David Wesling said in a written statement.
“While sanctuary politicians in Massachusetts choose to prioritize criminal aliens, ICE Boston will continue to aggressively pursue President Trump’s agenda of making our cities safe for American citizens,” he said.
Gov. Healey signed the Protect Act into law in early-August, which prohibits civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant at schools, courthouses, childcare centers and medical facilities, among other state owned property.
The new law also requires all Massachusetts employers to notify any illegal immigrant employees ahead of a pending I-9 inspection by DHS, and bans state and local law enforcement from entering into any new deputization agreements with federal immigration authorities, the most notable of which are 287(g) agreements, “except in narrow, criminal-law-focused arrangements that meet additional safeguards.”
“Today, we the people of Massachusetts are standing up and fighting back because we know what we need to do. We know that what ICE is doing is wrong, and it needs to stop,” Healey said to a packed room at La Calaborativa in Chelsea before singing the bill.
Healey recently issued guidance to all Massachusetts school districts, charter schools, educational collaboratives and licensed or state-funded early education and care programs, along hospitals and other entities, on how to interact with ICE under the Protect Act.
It features instructions for staff and administrators to follow if ICE agents arrive on site or request access to a student, child or their information.
“As families prepare for the new school year, every child should feel safe walking into their classroom and every parent should feel confident dropping them off,” said Healey when releasing the guidance. “These resources give educators and providers the clear guidance they need to put those protections into practice.”
Healey’s guidance instructs education and child care programs to establish a designated contact person for dealing with federal immigration officers – something required under the Protect Act along with written policies on how staff and administrators should respond if ICE agents arrive at their respective facility. The governor’s office recommends the highest ranking administrator or official on-site to fill this role, and that educational programs also designate a backup contact person as well.
It goes on to instruct the designated contact person to immediately contact their respective school or program’s attorney, if they are available. If an attorney is unavailable, the Healey administration says the contact person should speak calmly with the ICE officers and ask to view any warrants or other documentation they may have, as well as the individual officers’ names and badge numbers.
“If you come to the U.S. illegally and break our laws, we will find you and arrest you, and you will never return. Under President Donald Trump, Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting ICE Director David J. Venturella, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States,” ICE Boston said.
The arrest of Santos-Diaz follows a pattern of several ICE arrests of illegal immigrants with disturbing charges, like last month’s arrest of a Brazilian national with an extensive criminal record, or the July apprehension of a Guatemalan national wanted for several sex crimes.
It also comes amid high-profile crimes committed by those the agency could not apprehend in time.
On July 1, Haitian illegal immigrant Michael Bon, 33, was arrested after allegedly hitting and killing Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira, 44, when the tractor trailer he was driving swerved off a highway and struck Pahira as he was conducting a routine commercial inspection on another tractor trailer.
DHS says in June of 2025. USCIS terminated Bon’s parole, issuing him a notice on June 13. But despite his parole being terminated, Bon refused to leave the country and remained in the United States illegally, settling in Brockton and later obtaining a Massachusetts driver’s license under state law allowing non-citizens to obtain them.
Santos-Diaz remains in ICE custody pending federal court proceedings.