by Joe
2-minute read
A man residing in a Massachusetts migrant shelter has been arrested and charged with repeatedly raping and impregnating his teenage daughter while staying at a government-funded facility. The suspect, whose identity has been withheld to protect the victim, allegedly committed the assaults both during their journey to the U.S. and after their arrival.
The shelter where the man was staying is operated by Eliot Community Human Services, which manages two government-funded shelters located at Holiday Inn and Extended Stay hotels in Marlborough, Massachusetts, near Boston. According to The MetroWest Daily News, Marlborough Police arrested the man last week after shelter staff reported the crimes in May 2024.
Reports indicate that the teenage victim sent text messages revealing she had been impregnated by her father in the past and that he had sexually assaulted her multiple times, both during their migration to the U.S. and after settling in the country. The suspect was arraigned in Marlborough District Court on Monday, facing one count of aggravated rape of a child. District Judge Meghan Spring ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on Friday to determine whether he poses a danger to the public.
This case has emerged amid broader concerns about safety and criminal activity in Massachusetts migrant shelters. Jon Fetherson, a former director of the Marlborough shelter, has previously spoken out about incidents of violence, child sexual assault, and rape occurring in shelters across the state.
In a related incident reported by The Maine Wire in December, shelter staff attempted to separate the suspect from his daughter by relocating him to another shelter in Worcester, Massachusetts, using taxpayer-funded transportation. However, after being moved, the man reportedly became aggressive, yelling and making threatening gestures toward shelter staff.
Massachusetts, a "right to shelter" state, is legally required to provide housing to immigrants who lack other means of obtaining it. It is also a sanctuary jurisdiction, meaning state and local law enforcement are prohibited from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, such as ICE, in enforcing immigration laws.
This is not the first instance of criminal activity tied to Massachusetts migrant shelters. In January, Revere Police arrested Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a 28-year-old Dominican national, after discovering an AR-15 rifle and approximately $1 million worth of fentanyl in his state-subsidized hotel room.
In response to these incidents, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat, has expressed outrage over the abuse of the state’s shelter system. She has called on the legislature to revise the system’s rules to prevent illegal immigrants from exploiting shelter resources and to address ongoing safety concerns.
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