Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased the pressure on New York City’s sanctuary policies, putting out a list of illegal immigrant fugitives who have been released into the city despite requests from ICE for the city to hand them over for deportation.
At a press conference on Friday, Acting ICE Director Matthew Albence decried the dangers of sanctuary cities, where jurisdictions ignore detainers issued by ICE for arrested illegal immigrants. Those detainers request that ICE be informed when an illegal immigrant is in custody so they can be transferred into deportation proceedings.
The fugitives provided by ICE include those from Nigeria, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guinea, Spain, and El Salvador. Arrests related to the individuals include charges of assault of the first, second, and third degree, attempted robbery, criminal possession of a weapon, gang assaults, and other violent offenses.
ICE also shared a list of illegal immigrants currently in custody and facing deportation. Charges for those in custody include rape, murder, and sexual assault against a child.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has been a vocal supporter of the city’s sanctuary policies, noting that the city cooperates with ICE in the case of 177 crimes. But in the case of the murder of a 92-year-old woman, allegedly by an illegal immigrant released from custody after the city had ignored an ICE detainer, Acting Director Albence was unequivocal in his accusations against the policy.
“It is this city’s sanctuary policies that are the sole reason this criminal was allowed to roam the streets freely and end an innocent woman’s life,” he said. The woman’s death has reignited debate about the effectiveness of such policies, with New York City police officers some of the loudest voices in opposition.
Vice President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, Vincent Vallelong, spoke out on these issues and criticized the restrictions set up by the city, pushing for more collaboration with ICE.
However, Mayor de Blasio has defended New York’s policies, stating that they have kept the city safe and reiterating that ICE is still informed of convictions on 177 specific crimes set up by the city.
The Trump administration’s scare tactics destroy trust in law enforcement. The day our police ask for immigration status is the day people stop reporting crimes & sharing information. It’s the day we stop being the safest big city in America. We won’t let that happen.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 16, 2020
Ultimately, the debate around sanctuary cities and their policies has heated up again on the heels of this tragedy. With an already-charged political landscape, this will likely be a debate for the foreseeable future.
