Amid a spate of ICE arrests on Nantucket, including members of violent gangs, the local GOP chair urges greater vetting of migrants to ensure public safety.
Amid concerns over a recent surge in migrant crime, the chair of the Nantucket GOP, Toby Brown, has called for more thorough vetting of migrants to protect the island's residents.
ICE has apprehended several illegal immigrants on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard since August, including a member of the notorious gang MS-13. The arrests have sparked anxiety and raised questions about the vetting process for migrants.
Nantucket GOP Leader Calls for Vetting amid Migrant Crime Concerns
Brown, a resident of Nantucket for three decades, expressed concerns that the focus on illegal immigration has been overshadowed by fears of being labeled racist. He believes it is crucial to address these issues without holding back.
"We need to have this conversation and not just keep having this... idea that if you're somehow worried, you're a racist... people just need to not be afraid to speak up," Brown told Fox News Digital.
Nantucket GOP Leader Calls for Vetting amid Migrant Crime Concerns
He compared the island's muted response to recent sex crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants to the outrage sparked by actor Kevin Spacey's 2016 arrest.
"This island was more worried about when Kevin Spacey got charged back in 2016 [than the recent sex crimes allegedly perpetrated by illegal immigrants]," Brown said.
Nantucket GOP Leader Calls for Vetting amid Migrant Crime Concerns
In September alone, ICE arrested five migrants from Guatemala and El Salvador, including Elmer Sola and Bryan Daniel Aldana-Arevalo, charged with sex crimes against children. Felix Alberto Perez-Gomez and Gean Do Amaral Belafronte were charged with sex crimes against adults, while Angel Gabriel Deras-Mejia, a documented MS-13 member, was apprehended.
"This was not a surprise to us," Brown said. "When you follow the court reports in the last year or so, there have been quite a bit of violent arrests... maybe it was surprising ICE came out here, but not surprising that they had to come out here."
Nantucket GOP Leader Calls for Vetting amid Migrant Crime Concerns
While acknowledging the vital role immigrants play in Nantucket's tourism industry, Brown emphasized the need to vet all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, to ensure the island's safety.
"We owe it to our immigrants who have come here, whether they're legal or not," he said. "There's a lot of them that just want a better life. And they come here and they're doing the best they can. They raise their children here and they don't want this crime."
Brown believes that employers, landlords, and other entities in positions of authority must take responsibility for screening individuals to prevent potential threats.
"I ask that I hope that employers, landlords, everybody just, we just need to vet out people and, you know, and maybe there are more ways we can do that," Brown said.
As a business owner, Brown made a conscious effort to hire responsible and ethical employees, recognizing the potential consequences of negligence.
"When I started my business in 2002, I wanted to make sure I hired good people for my family and my community... I really tried to vet [employees]," said Brown. "I would just feel horrible if, because of me wanting to make a little more money or being a little more lazy, that I just hire somebody and I hope all goes well. And [that hire] committed some heinous crime."
Ultimately, Brown believes that public safety should be the paramount concern for everyone in the country.
"We're are all human beings. [But] my biggest thing is, I want my family to be safe. I want you to be safe. That's what we need in this country, is for people to be safe."
