No Sanctuary: ICE arrests more than 80 criminal aliens, including rapists and child molesters, during operation in New York City area

NEW YORK – Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested more than 80 during a 5-day period, ending Sep. 25, in New York City, the Hudson Valley and Long Island.

During the enforcement effort, ERO arrested 82 individuals for violating U.S. immigration laws. Of those arrested, more than 40 had been previously released from local law enforcement custody with an active detainer. Ten of those arrested were previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as sexual crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.

“Of those arrested during these five days, more than half were released from local custody with an active detainer. That is more than three dozen illegal aliens with convictions or criminal charges who were released back into New York communities, further putting the safety of its residents at risk,” said Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO New York. “Because of the senseless local laws in New York City, thousands of illegal aliens have been released; and as this trend continues, thousands more will be released back into the communities to threaten the safety of our city’s citizens. ICE deportation officers continue to focus enforcement efforts on arresting and removing those criminal aliens who think the laws of this country are mere suggestions.”

ERO deportation officers arrested 42 individuals during this operation who were previously released from local law enforcement on an active detainer. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) places detainers on individuals who have been arrested on local criminal charges and who are suspected of being deportable, so that ICE can take custody of that person when he or she is released from local custody. When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.

In years past, most of these individuals would have been turned over to ICE by local authorities upon their release from jail based on ICE detainers. Now that many sanctuary cities, including New York City, do not honor ICE detainers, these individuals, who often have significant criminal histories, are released onto the street, presenting a potential public safety threat. Ultimately, efforts by local NYC politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect.

Arrests include:

• In Staten Island, a 24 year-old Mexican national released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has pending charges for rape 2nd: intercourse with a person less than 15 years, and act in manner injure child less than 17 years old, rape 3rd: victim less than 17 years old, and sexual misconduct;
• In Yonkers, a 32 year-old Peruvian national released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has pending charges for forcible touching: touch sexual/intimate parts of another person; forcible touching – subject victim to sexual contact on bus/train/subway, and sexual abuse 3rd: subject another person to sex contact without consent;
• In Yonkers, a 40-year-old Mexican national released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has pending charges for forcible touching: touch sexual/intimate parts of another person and sexual abuse 3rd;
• In Jamaica, a 27-year-old Indian national released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has pending charges for rape 3rd: victim less than 17 years old;
• In Mamaroneck, a 51-year-old Mexican national and registered sexual offender, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has convictions for unlawful surveillance 2nd: use imaging device to view under clothing, and DWI. He has pending charges for forcible touching, public lewdness, sexual abuse 3rd, and unlawful surveillance;
• In Manhattan, a 24-year-old Dominican national released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has pending charges for rape 3rd: victim less than 17 years old, criminal sexual act 3: victim less than 17 years old, and sexual abuse 3rd: subject another person to sex contact without consent;
• In the Bronx, a 26 year-old Dominican national, with an outstanding removal order, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer who has pending charges for criminal possession of a weapon 2nd: loaded firearm, criminal possession of weapon 3rd: ammunition feeding device, criminal possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of marijuana;
• In the Bronx, a 30-year-old Filipino national who has a conviction for possessing sexual performance by child less than 16 years old;
• In Manhattan, a 30-year-old Algerian national who has convictions for assault, forcible touching, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation;
• In Manhattan, a 35-year-old Dominican national and registered sexual offender, who has a conviction for rape 2nd: intercourse with a person less than 15 years old, for which a sentence of 3 years imprisonment and 8 years of parole supervision was imposed

Criminal histories of those arrested during the enforcement effort are as follows: Act in a Manner to Injure a Child, aggravated DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Assault, Criminal Contempt, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of Marijuana, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Sex Act, DWI, Endangering the Welfare of a Child; Forcible Touching, Grand Larceny, Harassment, Kidnapping, Petit Larceny, Possessing Sexual Performance by Child, Public Lewdness, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Course Of Sexual Conduct Against a Child 2nd, Sexual Misconduct, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, and Unlawful Surveillance.

The arrestees include nationals from Algeria, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Spain, and Ukraine. ERO deportation officers made arrests throughout New York City, the Hudson Valley, and on Long Island, specifically in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, and the Hudson Valley counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester. One arrest was made in Essex County, New Jersey.

ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. However, ICE no longer exempts classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.

Some of the individuals arrested during this operation will face federal criminal prosecutions for illegal entry and illegal re-entry after removal. Depending on the alien’s criminal history, an alien who illegally reenters the United States, has committed a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted, are detained in ICE custody, and will be processed administratively for removal from the United States.

Any local jurisdiction thinking that refusing to cooperate with ICE will result in a decrease in local immigration enforcement is mistaken. Local jurisdictions that choose to not cooperate with ICE are likely to see an increase in ICE enforcement activity, as in jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE the agency has no choice but to conduct more at-large arrest operations. A consequence of ICE being forced to make more arrests on the streets is the agency is likely to encounter other unlawfully present foreign nationals that wouldn’t have been encountered had we been allowed to take custody of a criminal target within the confines of a local jail.

Despite the severe challenges that local policies have created for ICE, we remain committed to our public safety mission and we will continue to do our sworn duty to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators. ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with all local law enforcement and elected officials.

ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety, and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls. These operations involve existing, established Fugitive Operations Teams.