BOSTON — On June 29, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston removed an unlawfully-present Romanian citizen, who twice entered the United States unlawfully.
Ion Marius Paun, 30, is wanted in Romania for the violation of domicile and for violating a protection order.
“International fugitives have no right to try to hide from justice in the U.S. and are not welcome here,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “ERO Boston will continue to seek out and apprehend those who try to evade justice in their own countries and who attempt to unlawfully reside within our region.”
In February 2006, Paun unlawfully entered the United States and was arrested by the United States Border Patrol in Roma, Texas, which issued him a notice to appear before an immigration judge. In January 2007, an immigration judge issued him a final order of removal. After an appeal of the ruling was denied, Paun voluntarily left the U.S. sometime after July 2008.
In December 2022, he became wanted in Romania on multiple criminal offenses. He was then re-arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in May 2023, and transferred to ERO Boston where he was held until his removal, which took place June 29.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal. Once a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge or other lawful means, ICE officers may carry out the removal.
ERO officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.
In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.
As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.
Source : ICE
