A Jamaican national, Tanya James, has been sentenced to six months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. The sentencing took place in federal court in Boston, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman.
James, 53, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien following her indictment by a federal grand jury the previous month. After serving her sentence, she will be subject to deportation proceedings.
James’s criminal history includes a 2003 conviction for possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base. She was removed from the United States and deported to Jamaica in 2004. In 2011, she was again ordered removed and subsequently deported to Jamaica in 2012.
Court documents indicate that James was charged with motor vehicle offenses in March 2024. On or about May 12, 2025, immigration officials took her into custody after determining she had returned to the United States without authorization.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.”
