The Department of Homeland Security revealed Monday that New York state has released nearly 7,000 known illegal migrant criminals without notifying federal immigration authorities since President Donald Trump took office.
According to the New York Post, DHS also reported that more than 7,000 others remain in state jails and prisons under the protection of sanctuary laws.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a pointed letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James demanding that the state hand over these individuals for deportation.
The letter detailed that many of the migrants had histories of violent and serious crimes, including murder, rape, armed robbery, assaults, and sexually predatory offenses.
“These are people who are not only in the country illegally, but who have committed additional crimes, including heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others,” Lyons wrote.
DHS reported that the 6,947 migrants released since January 20 have cumulative records including attempted murder, thousands of assaults, hundreds of burglaries, robberies, drug offenses, weapons offenses, and sexual crimes.
Sanctuary laws, Lyons noted, prevent local authorities from cooperating fully with ICE, allowing these individuals to return to communities instead of being deported.
“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,” Lyons wrote.
The letter also highlighted individual cases, including Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, a Crips gang member who was released by local authorities despite an ICE detainer before being re-arrested in the Bronx.
Other examples include Jose David Hernandez Hernandez, arrested for rape and assault, and career criminal Alexander Moreno Montoya, who faced multiple violent and drug-related charges before being temporarily released.
Currently, DHS says over 7,100 illegal aliens with active ICE detainers remain in New York custody, collectively responsible for 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drug offenses, 152 weapons violations, and 260 sexual predatory crimes.
“Attorney General James and her fellow New York Sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and sexual predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are calling on Letitia James to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 7,000 criminal illegal aliens in New York’s custody.”
DHS warned that failing to comply could allow dangerous individuals to return to the streets, emphasizing the threat to public safety.
