Are illegal immigrants above American law?

ICE blasts New York and New Jersey for ignoring detainer requests, allowing multiple accused child rapists to go free

Sexual assault of young teenagers

Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images

 LEON WOLF

ICE officials issued a harsh statement at a press conference Thursday, criticizing authorities in New York and New Jersey for refusing to honor detainer requests and allowing multiple accused child rapists to go free.

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According to WLNY-TV, the first suspect in question was named Luciano Trejo-Dominguez, a Mexican national, who was arrested on Aug. 12th in New Jersey on charges related to an alleged sexual assault of a child younger than 16. The charges included sexual assault, sexual assault of a victim 13 to 15 years old, criminal restraint, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child, according to WPIX-TV.
According to the statement from ICE, their office in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, filed detainers with the Cumberland County Jail, where Trejo-Dominguez was being held. However, the jail did not honor the request, and Trejo-Dominguez was released from custody on Aug. 23rd, and is currently at large.
When asked for comment, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal stated that the Immigrant Trust Directive, which was issued last November as part of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy's sanctuary state policies, did not permit county authorities to comply with ICE detainers.

Some New Jersey counties have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this directive in court. The litigation remains pending at the time of publication of this article.
ICE also highlighted the case of Joaquin Rodriguez Quiroz, a Mexican national who was arrested on Sept. 6th in Westchester County, New York, for allegedly raping a 17-year-old. ICE acting director Matthew Albence said that ICE lodged a detainer request with Westchester County Jail on Sept. 7th, but in spite of this detainer, Quiroz was released after posting bond, and also remains at large.
Pro-immigration groups consider Westchester County to be a "sanctuary" jurisdiction. County officials did not comment on the reasons that Quiroz's detainer was refused.
At the Thursday press conference, Albence said, "To the public, who want to live and raise your families in safe neighborhoods, we ask you to hold your lawmakers accountable before you, or someone you love, is unnecessarily victimized by a criminal ICE could have removed from the country."