A Haitian national who became an online flashpoint after loudly resisting his ICE arrest in Boston has been deported to Haiti following 19 months in federal custody, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed.
Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles drew national attention when Fox News cameras captured him shouting during his January 24, 2025 arrest, “I’m not going back to Haiti … you feel me?” He also said “F— Trump” and “Biden forever bro” during the encounter.
DHS says Charles is a member of the Back Block Money Gang and has 17 criminal convictions, including assault and battery on a public employee, resisting arrest, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession with intent to distribute a Class D controlled substance, possession of controlled substances, carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying ammunition without a firearm identification card, and trespassing.
According to DHS, Charles received Temporary Protected Status in 2013 during the Obama administration and entered the United States in July of that year. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services terminated his TPS in July 2022.
ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said Charles’ presence in the country had caused harm to Massachusetts residents.
“Mr. Charles is illegally present in the United States and has consistently broken our laws causing significant harm to the residents of Massachusetts. ERO Boston will not tolerate the repeated victimization of our New England neighborhoods. We will continue our mission to apprehend such illegal alien offenders and remove them from our communities.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin also addressed the case in a statement following the deportation.
“This illegal alien gang member from Haiti had quite the rap sheet. Once again: if you’re here illegally, we will find you, arrest you, and remove you from the United States of America.”
The White House weighed in as well, with spokeswoman Lauren Bis linking Charles’ immigration status to prior administrations’ policies.
“This gang member and criminal illegal alien loved Obama, Biden, and open-border Democrats who let him enter our country with TPS and allowed him to terrorize American citizens. Thanks to the Trump administration, he is now off our streets and back in Haiti.”
Charles’ case had circulated widely online for months after video of his arrest first surfaced, with his defiant remarks becoming a recurring talking point in debates over immigration enforcement and Temporary Protected Status policy.
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