In a recent press release, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expressed their concern over local authorities allowing an illegal immigrant, who had been arrested for sexually assaulting a minor, to be released back into the community. The individual in question, a 26-year-old Honduran national residing unlawfully in the United States, was apprehended by deportation officers shortly after his local arrest on charges of first-degree sexual assault of a minor. ICE, however, was unable to assume custody of the Honduran while he was still in local detention, as the Hartford Correctional Center chose to disregard their detainer request. This disregard for the detainer request, as stated by ICE, poses a significant risk to the safety of communities.
“This is a disturbing example of how noncooperative jurisdictions can pose a significant threat to communities in our region,” [Enforcement and Removal Operations] Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons stated in a press release. “Despite the presence of an immigration detainer, local authorities released an alleged sexual predator onto the streets of a Connecticut neighborhood.”
The Honduran citizen unlawfully entered the United States near Rio Grande City, Texas in August 2013, as disclosed by ICE. Upon being apprehended by Customs and Border Protection agents, he was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
He was subsequently released to relatives in New Britain. On September 14, 2023, New Britain authorities arrested and charged him with first-degree sexual assault against a minor under 13 years old and illegal sexual contact with a minor. Following this, ICE filed a detainer request for him at the Hartford Correctional Center.
Despite this, officials at the Hartford Correctional Center disregarded the detainer and released him on February 1, 2024. ICE officers successfully located and detained the Honduran individual on April 4 without any issues, and he will be held in federal custody pending removal proceedings, as announced by the agency. ICE emphasized their commitment to working with local jurisdictions to ensure community safety.
“ERO Boston stands ready to work with local jurisdictions to prioritize public safety throughout New England,” Lyons stated.
ICE lodges detainer requests when a suspected illegal alien is detained at a local or state detention facility. These requests require the facility or law enforcement agency to inform ICE beforehand if they intend to release the individual and to hold them in custody for a sufficient duration to enable ICE agents to apprehend them.
Nevertheless, numerous sanctuary cities and jurisdictions have implemented policies that strictly forbid local law enforcement officials from collaborating with ICE agents, compelling them to disregard a significant number of these detainer requests.
