A Guatemalan national has been convicted and sentenced for unlawful reentry into the United States, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan.
Jorge Misael Niz, 43, who had been living in Salem without legal status, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to time served, which amounted to two months. Niz remains in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pending removal to Guatemala.
Niz had previously been ordered removed from the United States by an Immigration Judge and was deported on March 30, 2006. On April 27, 2025, Salem Police responded to a domestic violence report at an apartment where they arrested Niz for simple assault. After discovering his immigration status, authorities referred him to ICE.
The investigation was led by ICE with assistance from the Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo prosecuted the case.
According to the press release: “This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
