New York is under fire after federal authorities revealed that state officials quietly released nearly 7,000 criminal illegal migrants back onto the streets instead of turning them over to ICE.
The offenders include killers, sexual predators, gang members, and a repeat offender who attacked a police officer with a machete.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says the releases took place because of aggressive sanctuary policies in New York, even when ICE issued criminal detainers for deportation.
DHS singled out state Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of shielding dangerous offenders instead of handing them over.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Americans overwhelmingly oppose keeping violent criminals in the country.
He wrote that “virtually all Americans agree that people like this should be swiftly removed from the United States when they leave New York’s custody and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law-abiding citizens.”
DHS listed multiple offenders who were freed despite convictions, only to be tracked down later by federal immigration authorities.
One offender was Vyacheslav Danilovich Kim, who believed he was meeting a 13-year-old girl and was convicted in Albany County. Probation workers refused to cooperate with ICE, forcing the agency to rearrest him later and deport him.
Another was 25-year-old Steven Daniel Henriquez Galicia, charged with attempted murder after allegedly opening fire in the Bronx. A judge allowed him to walk free on cashless bail, despite prosecutors requesting a $300,000 bond. ICE rearrested him.
A third case involved Honduran national Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, a suspected Crips gang member with previous assault charges. He was freed after being hit with weapons and drug offenses, and ICE detained him only after local officials refused to cooperate, per Trending Politics.
The most extreme case involved Mexican national Jesus Romero Hernandez, who has been deported eight times. He attacked an Ithaca police officer with a machete. Tompkins County released him in January despite a federal detainer. ICE deported him again on November 5.
ICE is now demanding the state hand over 7,113 criminal migrants currently in New York jails and prisons. Lyons said the offenders include criminals guilty of “heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others.”
DHS says 6,947 migrants with active detainers were released since January 20. Under New York’s sanctuary laws, local agencies can block cooperation with ICE even when dealing with violent criminals and gang members.
A 2017 executive order signed by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) banned state agencies from using resources to help immigration enforcement. Gov. Kathy Hochul claims the state “can and will” cooperate in limited cases, but New York City maintains stricter sanctuary restrictions.
After refusing a previous federal inquiry, Letitia James argued that her office “cannot address” different practices across jurisdictions. DHS officials were not satisfied.
The department ended its letter with a pointed warning. It asked whether New York intends to honor detainers or whether “each of these barbarians will someday walk the streets of New York again.”
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned James and sanctuary politicians. She said they are “releasing murderers, terrorists, and sexual predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.”
