Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are criticizing the city of Hartford, Connecticut, for releasing an undocumented Honduran man accused of assaulting a minor despite a federal detainer request. The 26-year-old suspect was arrested by local police on September 14, 2023, for allegedly attacking a child under 13.
President Trump speaks on the migrant crime wave during his Mar-a-Lago press conference. On Wednesday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refused to apologize to the American people for unleashing the crime wave via Biden’s open borders. pic.twitter.com/8eq4bTuFpX
— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) April 12, 2024
Lyons explained that despite the presence of an immigration detainer local authorities released the alleged predator “onto the streets of a Connecticut neighborhood.” The suspect originally entered the U.S. illegally in August 2013 near Rio Grande City, Texas, and was released under the Obama-Biden administration’s policies before being assigned to a family in New Britain, Connecticut.
Following his arrest last September ICE issued a detainer on October 13 requesting notification if the suspect was to be released. But Hartford officials disregarded the appeal and freed the individual on February 1, 2024, without informing federal authorities.
ICE agents ultimately apprehended the suspect on April 4 without assistance from local law enforcement. The incident has reignited the debate over sanctuary cities like Hartford which declared itself a sanctuary in 2008 limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Lyons emphasized that “ERO Boston stands ready to work with local jurisdictions to prioritize public safety throughout New England.” However collaboration remains unlikely given Hartford’s stance on protecting undocumented immigrants even those accused of violent crimes against children.
This is a particularly heinous and tragic crime for so many reasons and on so many levels. First and foremost, the fact that a young child was left victimized is clearly the worst of it. But what is so deeply troubling is that there are two concrete reasons that this crime should never have been committed in the first place. This criminal should not have been on the streets, having shown himself to be a criminal. And he shouldn’t have even been in the country. Efforts to rectify both were halted by “sanctuary” status, and a horrific crime was committed.
