Federal immigration authorities say officers in Chicago were forced to track down and arrest a previously deported Mexican national after local police released him despite an active federal warrant.
ICE Chicago announced that agents arrested Luis Manuel Saucedo-Cardenas, 40, on May 6. According to the agency, Saucedo-Cardenas was wanted on a federal criminal warrant issued April 29 for illegal reentry into the United States.
ICE said the Chicago Police Department was notified of the warrant on May 1 and confirmed its existence. The agency alleged that, despite multiple requests for custody transfer, city police declined to turn him over and instead released him into the community.
Saucedo-Cardenas had previously been removed from the United States in 2022, according to ICE. The agency described him as a former member of the La Raza street gang and said his criminal history includes arrests for assault, controlled substance offenses, and carjacking, as well as a prison sentence for wire fraud.
Following his arrest, ICE Acting Field Office Director Tammy Marich criticized the decision not to honor the agency’s requests.
“The Chicago Police Department knowingly jeopardized the public’s safety by releasing a dangerous suspect with a federal criminal arrest warrant. Politics aside, there is no excuse for sanctuary politicians to threaten the well-being of the communities they purport to serve,” Marich said.
The case has renewed debate over so-called sanctuary policies, which generally limit cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. ICE maintains that immigration detainers are the safest method for taking custody of criminal illegal aliens because transfers occur while suspects are already being held in secure facilities.
According to the agency, when local jurisdictions decline detainer requests, individuals sought by federal immigration authorities may be released before ICE officers can take custody of them. ICE argues this can require agents to locate and arrest suspects in the community rather than in controlled detention settings.
The agency contrasted Chicago’s approach with jurisdictions that honor immigration detainers and transfer individuals directly into federal custody.
ICE stated that Saucedo-Cardenas was ultimately located and arrested by ICE Chicago officers after his release. The agency has not indicated how long he remained at large before being taken into custody.
Federal authorities continue to pursue enforcement actions against individuals who reenter the country illegally after deportation, a federal criminal offense.
