The New York Police Department arrests illegal alien criminals, and Mayor Bill de Blasio sets them free before Immigration and Customs Enforcement can take custody.
That’s New York City’s sanctuary policy, and it prioritizes some of society’s worst predators above their victims and the law-abiding public.
It also forces ICE to engage in dangerous manhunts—but thank goodness it does.
ICE officers arrested three convicted criminal illegal aliens last week after de Blasio’s sanctuary policy prevented the NYPD from honoring ICE detainers, or notifying federal immigration authorities when criminal aliens are being released from jail.
Alvaro Cuatate–Xochicale, 57, has pending charges for sexual abuse, sexual contact with an individual younger than 11 years old, sexual abuse and sexual contact with a person younger than 14 years old, subjecting another person to sexual contact without consent and unlawful dealing with a child.
But thanks to de Blasio, a May 12 ICE detainer was ignored and Cuatate–Xochicale was freed in advance of his criminal court proceedings, with the assumption he would show up.
Similarly, the NYPD had arrested Miguel Guzman–Reyna, 58, for third-degree assault and second-degree harassment.
He had previously been convicted for criminal possession of a loaded firearm. But Guzman–Reyna was released back to the streets after a May 11 ICE detainer was ignored.
Jonathan De Jesus-Lopez, 20, has a pending charge for grand larceny and was previously convicted for selling controlled substances in a school zone. His ICE detainer was also ignored.
But in all three cases, ICE officers were able to locate the dangerous criminals and take them into federal custody where they will now await the outcome of immigration hearings.
“What’s so troubling about New York’s sanctuary city policy is that it favors the criminals over citizens,” said Thomas R. Decker, ICE Emergency Removal Operation’s New York’s field office director.
“These three individuals clearly pose a significant threat to public safety, yet law enforcement agencies are prevented from doing the right thing, which is turning these criminals over to ICE in a safe, controlled environment,” Decker said.
“There is no justifiable reason to release drug dealers, violent criminals and sexual predators into American communities.”
Six other criminal illegal aliens were arrested last week in New York City as part of a coordinated effort to remove dangerous illegals despite the city’s sanctuary policy.
All had ICE detainers that were ignored. Their crimes included murder, rape, robbery and multiple acts of sexual assault on minor children.
