Nearly 1,500 people have been detained in Massachusetts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the last month, the agency said Monday. ICE acting director Todd Lyons told reporters at a news conference in Boston that 1,461 people have been hauled into custody since Operation Patriot began in May.

Federal officials say that a Massachusetts high school student was not the original target of an ICE operation that led to his detainment.

"... I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and family on the line, because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is,

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons on Monday defended the use of masks by his agents and expressed frustration at sanctuary jurisdictions that he said are hindering the detainment of immigrants who are in the country illegally.