A Haitian migrant has been arrested in Massachusetts for allegedly molesting a 10-year-old boy who lived nearby. 18-year-old Akim Marc Desire was arrested in Mansfield, Massachusetts on charges of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14. Desire entered the United States legally last year, arriving in Miami before relocating to Massachusetts, where he is now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Akim Marc Desire allegedly victimized a minor member of our Massachusetts community,” explained Boston ICE Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons to Fox News. “We cannot tolerate such potentially dire threat to the welfare of children in our community. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our New England neighborhoods.”
Desire, who entered the country legally, violated the terms of his entry and was not legally present in the US when the alleged crime occurred. His entry into the US was facilitated by the Biden administration’s parole program, which allows migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to seek entry if they have a US-based sponsor. However, the program was paused in July after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uncovered significant fraud among applicants.
Despite the pause due to fraud, DHS recently announced the program’s resumption after implementing “additional vetting of US-based supporters to strengthen the integrity of the processes.”
“With these updated procedures in place, DHS is resuming the issuance of new Advance Travel Authorizations and will closely monitor how this new process is operating moving forward,” said a spokesperson for DHS, per Fox News.