U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents work hard day and night to protect Americans from criminal aliens. The job of an ICE agent is hard and dangerous enough, but it's made harder and more dangerous when local law enforcement agencies refuse to cooperate by honoring immigration detainers for known criminal aliens.
Los Angeles County in California is but one of many local jurisdictions putting the public safety at risk by ignoring immigration detainers for criminal illegal aliens.
(Via ICE)
Among the recent immigration detainers not honored in Los Angeles County:
- A 36-year-old citizen and national of Pakistan convicted of grand theft, possession of a controlled substance, evading a peace officer, and dangerous weapons; processed and released back into the community by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on Sept. 9
- A 21-year-old citizen and national of Honduras with multiple convictions and charges for battery and terrorist threats, and who has a removal order by a federal immigration judge, processed and released by the LASD on Sept. 1
- A 36-year-old citizen and national of El Salvador convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and who has a removal order by a federal immigration judge; processed and released by the LASD on Sept. 1
- A 34-year-old citizen and national of Mexico with more than a dozen convictions and charges for grand theft, fraud, and drug possession, processed and released by the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) on Aug. 31
- A 40-year-old citizen and national of El Salvador convicted of homicide, robbery, and terrorist threats, processed and released by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on Aug. 26
- A 31-year-old citizen and national of El Salvador with more than a dozen convictions and charges for drugs, fraud, theft, and weapons, processed and released by the LAPD on Aug. 24
- Another 34-year-old citizen and national of Mexico charged with lewd and lascivious acts and molestation of a minor, processed and released by the LASD on Aug. 23
- A 55-year-old citizen and national of Honduras and prior removal charged with lewd and lascivious acts/sex with a minor; processed and released by the LASD sometime in August
Criminal aliens with violent criminal histories are simply being released back onto the streets under sanctuary policies. ICE warns of the dangers posed to public safety when law enforcement agencies are prevented from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
"Sanctuary policies create an irresponsible safe harbor for criminal aliens who seek to prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities," said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the ICE Director Tony H. Pham. "Immigration enforcement is about applying the law – our actions, efforts and resources remain diligently focused on targeting those who not only threaten and undermine our national security, but who demonstrate a repeated and willful disregard for public safety within the United States."
In contrast to sanctuary cities and counties, some local law enforcement agencies actively cooperate with ICE and remove criminal aliens from the local community. ICE recently published its monthly report on enforcement actions resulting from cooperation agreements with state and local jurisdictions, and the results of those agreements are simply startling.
