Illegal immigrant charged with horrific sex crime against a youth was released by police, despite a detainer request from ICE

LYNN, MA - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have successfully arrested a Colombian illegal immigrant after he was charged locally with a horrific sex crime and then released by a local police department, despite ICE requesting that authorities hold him until they could come get him. 

According to Fox News, the unnamed illegal immigrant was arrested in January and charged with the rape and indecent assault and battery of a minor over the age of 14. He was arraigned in court on January 29th. Immediately following the hearing, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) unit out of Boston lodged an immigration detainer with Lynn District Court.

The detainer was not honored by the Essex County Sheriff's Office and the illegal immigrant was released from state custody, despite the pending sex charges against a minor. ERO Boston deportation officers did not apprehend the alleged Colombian sex offender until March 28th near his residence in Lynn. He is now in federal custody pending removal proceedings. 

ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement, "This unlawfully present Colombian national stands accused of a horrific crime. There are few crimes more disturbing than the sexual assault of a child, and no person more disturbing than one who would prey upon the most innocent members of our community. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by working tenaciously to arrest and remove unlawfully present child sex predators from our New England neighborhoods."

The Colombian illegal immigrant was arrested by Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 3, 2022, for unlawfully entering the United States via the southern border. He was issued a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge and was enrolled into the Alternatives to Detention program by ERO. 

ERO agents have expressed frustration about "sanctuary" policies, which forbid local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE detainers. ICE and the Biden administration have urged cities and jurisdictions to cooperate with federal authorities with regard to handing over criminal illegal immigrants.

Back in February, a White House spokesperson was asked by Fox News Digital for the White House's stance on sanctuary cities and responded by saying, "We welcome local law enforcement's support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety." 

The spokesperson added, "When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE." 

As part of its mission to identify and arrest removable illegal immigrants from the country, ICE and ERO lodge immigration detainers against noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. According to the ICE press release, "an immigration detainer is a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody."

Detainers are a critical public safety tool because they focus enforcement resources on illegal immigrants who have committed criminal acts. Detainers increase the safety for all parties involved, including the community.

When ERO Boston arrested the Colombian illegal immigrant, they also arrested five other illegal immigrants who have allegedly committed sex crimes against children along with one member of the MS-13 gang. 
 
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Sign in to comment

Comments

elaine

take the police and whoever else was responsible for releasing this creep and put them in jail for his crime since by letting him go they aided him in the crime

Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox

© 2024 Law Enforcement Today, Privacy Policy