The latest information paints a grim picture of the thousands of unlawful immigrants roaming New York City because local officials have not pulled the trigger on deportation. Among them are violent offenders – some still face death‑penalty cases – who slipped through the cracks after being released from jail despite clear ICE detainers.
Take, for instance, Jose Antonio Andreo‑Quezada from Cuba, a convicted killer whose criminal file lists homicide, larceny, assault, burglary, drug possession and more. He was let out of Rikers after a parole violation, but ICE had already marked him for removal on August 16. Another example is Dominican national Anastacio Tejada Almonte. His record, supplied by the Department of Homeland Security, includes homicide, multiple assaults, illegal firearm possession and an escape from prosecution. Although ICE filed a detainer in May, he was released by the New York Department of Corrections on July 27.
These two are just part of a staggering 6,947 offenders freed from New York jails over the past year, all of whom had active ICE detainers asking that they be surrendered for deportation. Because city and state “sanctuary” policies limit law‑enforcement cooperation with federal agencies, many criminals simply walk away rather than being handed over to immigration authorities.
The list of dangerous individuals continues: Alex Jareth Martinez‑Avila from Honduras carries a barrage of charges—assault, stolen property, fraudulent use of a vehicle, trespassing, and possession of burglary tools. He stayed at large until being re‑arrested on homicide and robbery, at which point ICE filed a fresh detainer on September 22. Similarly, Hector De Sousa‑Villalta of Venezuela was charged with homicide, weapon possession, drug offenses, assault and public‑order crimes, yet was let out of Rikers even though ICE had requested his custody. Mexican national William Alexander Paredes‑Vasquez, who committed a string of assaults culminating in a homicide, was also released in spite of a July 10 ICE detainer.
Even the most recent efforts under the Trump administration to crack down on violent offenders have fallen short. Luis Franklin Tenesaca‑Palchizaca from Ecuador, whose record includes public‑order crimes and obstruction, was released after local authorities ignored an ICE detainer filed on August 27. He was arrested again that month on a homicide charge and subsequently faced a new detainer.
The problem is compounded by a lack of support from local agencies, forcing ICE to carry the burden of locating and arresting these repeat offenders. These individuals frequently evade the system—Jesus Romero‑Hernandez, for example, was removed from the United States eight times before finally attacking an Ithaca police officer with a machete. Last month, ICE deported him a second time, but the cycle continues.
In short, the data reveals that thousands of criminals have slipped through New York’s justice system, re‑offending on the streets, largely due to sanctuary policies that inhibit handover to federal immigration authorities.
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