Fear grips idyllic Nantucket amid big migrant crime spike

After a slew of illegal immigrants were nabbed on this idyllic island by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for sex crimes and assault over the course of a month, many residents fear their home has changed forever.

Five migrants from Guatemala and El Salvador were picked up by Enforcement and Removal Operations of Boston in separate actions this month. Elmer Sola and Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo were charged for sex crimes against children, per the agency; Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez and Gean Do Amaral Belafronte were charged with sex crimes against adults; and Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia was a documented member of the notorious gang MS-13.

Immigrants – many who have obtained H2B visas for seasonal work – are a vital part of Nantucket's tourism industry and make up a large portion of the summer vacation spot's year-round population. Multiple local bars, like The Muse, host packed Latino nights each week; 41.5% of students in Nantucket's public schools speak a language other than English at home, per online school district data.