Massachusetts’ top federal prosecutor is ramping up the prosecutions of undocumented immigrants who have returned to the US after deportation and wants to ensure the general public is aware of his efforts.
William Weinreb, acting US Attorney for The District of Massachusetts, says that while the caseload against such immigrants is still being built up by his office, those efforts are gaining more attention by the public affairs shop of the office than was the case under his predecessor. This is according to the Boston Herald. In May, 12 press releases were issued by Weinreb’s office about cases involving previously deported undocumented immigrants being sentenced, convicted, or charged for having illegally re-entered the US – a crime that carries a maximum sentence of two years behind bars.
The office released three press releases about similar cases in seven minutes on the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. In contrast, the former Massachusetts US Attorney, Carmen Ortiz, issued ten press releases on illegal re-entry cases in her last five years in the position, the Herald says. Weinreb says the number of prosecutions will increase in such instances, as well as with other forms of immigration offenses, noting that a designated prosecutor has been assigned to deal with such cases as part of an office reshuffle.
Weinreb says the increase of press releases is designed to spread the message about prosecutions to try to make deportees reconsider the wisdom of illegal re-entry to the US.