U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston has announced the arrest of a 56-year-old Syrian national facing pending child sex offense charges in Rhode Island. This action is part of ICE’s “Worst of the Worst” enforcement initiative.
According to ICE, Abdulkhalek Darwich, identified as a criminal alien, was arrested on November 17. He faces state charges in Pawtucket for first-degree child molestation, first-degree sexual assault, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Although he has not yet been convicted, ICE has placed him in immigration detention while local criminal proceedings continue. This move underscores the agency’s use of immigration tools to ensure that foreign nationals accused of serious offenses remain available for prosecution and potential removal from the United States if convicted.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations reports that thousands of noncitizens with sexual offense convictions or pending charges are arrested nationwide each year. Crimes involving children are treated as a top priority category for enforcement. Recent annual reports highlight that a significant share of ICE’s “Worst of the Worst” targets involve alleged or convicted child predators, reflecting the agency’s emphasis on protecting minors and supporting local prosecutors by keeping high-risk foreign defendants in secure custody during their criminal cases.
Rhode Island criminal justice data indicates that sexual assault against minors, although a smaller subset of total violent crime, carries some of the state’s harshest penalties. First-degree child molestation is punishable by lengthy prison terms intended to incapacitate offenders and deter repeat abuse. State and local agencies often coordinate with federal partners like ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service when alleged offenders are noncitizens or flight risks to reduce the chances they abscond before trial or sentencing.
ICE was created in 2003 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., as part of the Department of Homeland Security. It is responsible for interior immigration enforcement, detention and removal operations, and investigations targeting transnational crime. The Boston Field Office oversees enforcement activities across New England, including Rhode Island, working with local police and prosecutors to identify criminal aliens who pose public safety threats. Through initiatives such as “Worst of the Worst,” it prioritizes arresting, detaining, and eventually removing violent offenders and suspected child predators who are unlawfully present or violating immigration law.
