The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday it is ready to escalate pressure on sanctuary states that refuse to cooperate in turning over deportation targets after putting New York, Illinois and California “on notice.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had sent an initial inquiry earlier this month asking the states whether they would comply with deportation “detainer” requests, which ask state and local authorities to turn over illegal immigrants from their prisons and jails whom ICE has flagged as good candidates for removal.
New York and Illinois rebuffed the entreaty while California didn’t respond, according to Homeland Security.
Now ICE has followed up with a new letter saying it will “pursue all appropriate measures.”
Homeland Security said Illinois’ attorney general refused to receive the letter.
“ICE detainers ask for something very simple: To notify ICE when criminal illegal aliens are released from jail or prison, to ensure that they go into ICE custody before they are released back onto our streets. These sanctuary state politicians should do the right thing and side with law-abiding Americans over criminal illegal aliens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
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Sanctuaries say they don’t want to be part of federal immigration efforts, arguing it sours relations between their own police and immigrant communities. They say that means fewer people are willing to report crimes or serve as witnesses, making communities less safe.
Sanctuary opponents dispute those claims, and there is data on both sides of that debate.
Another issue under dispute is whom ICE targets with detainers.
Sanctuaries say ICE is acting indiscriminately in its enforcement, snaring those without criminal records.
Homeland Security counters that those who are targets of detainer requests were, by definition, in custody of a police agency, so they had at least some criminal entanglement.
More broadly, ICE says, 70% of migrants it has arrested under Mr. Trump have either criminal convictions or pending charges on their record. The others are immigration violators, many of whom are defying outstanding deportation orders.
That’s still a significant drop from the Biden years, when more than 90% of ICE’s book-ins had convictions or pending charges.
Homeland Security on Saturday ticked off a list of criminals who’d been released due to sanctuary policies,
Among them was Minh Le Hoang, a Vietnamese citizen released into Los Angeles despite charges for failing to register as a sex offender, hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.
In Illinois, the Cook County Jail had released Gabriel J Valle Galvez, a Mexican with convictions for battery, aggravated assault, driving under the influence, public indecency and several other charges. He also had been identified as a member of the Latin King gang, ICE said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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