Exclusive | DHS says NY has released 7,000 illegal migrant criminals, demands Letitia James hand over another 7,000 state still holding
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said that New York state has free‑ridered almost 7,000 illegal‑immigrant criminals without informing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since President Trump’s administration began. In addition, more than 7,000 of those individuals are still being held in state jails and prisons. DHS claims that sanctuary laws in the state are protecting them. In a letter sent to New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, on Monday, federal officials demanded that she hand the migrants over to ICE so they can be deported.
The letter detailed how thousands of the migrants have committed serious crimes—violence included—but were released on bail, parole, or simply back into the community, all while ICE was kept in the dark. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons wrote that these are people who are not only in the country illegally, but who have committed additional crimes, including heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others.
According to the Post’s copy of the demand, 6,947 illegal aliens with active ICE detainers have been let loose on New York streets since January 20. Their cumulative records show attempted murder, thousands of assaults, hundreds of burglaries, robberies, drug offenses, weapons violations and sexual predatory behaviors.
A previous DHS letter, sent to James on September 15, was reportedly ignored. The new missive is backed by a list of dozen migrants with brutal criminal histories who were released in recent months rather than turned over to immigration authorities. Among them was Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, a Crips gang member with an assault record who was arrested on August 19 for possessing a weapon and a controlled substance, yet was released by local police before ICE could pick him up again on September 11 in the Bronx. Another case involved Jose David Hernandez Hernandez, who was detained for rape, strangulation and assault before being released, but was later returned to ICE custody following intervention by immigration officials. Career criminal Alexander Moreno Montoya, who faces charges including assault on a police officer, the illegal possession of a weapon and cocaine possession, was also released from Rikers Island on March 17 before ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) team in NYC apprehended and deported him in July.
“Please confirm whether the State of New York plans to honor detainers on these aliens or whether each of these barbarians will someday walk the streets of New York again,” the letter to James ends, sharply questioning the state’s policy.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin was quoted in a statement to the Post saying, “Attorney General James and her fellow New York Sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and sexual predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.” She added, “We are calling on Letitia James to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 7,000 criminal illegal aliens in New York’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”
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