Federal immigration officials are warning that tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens could be released back into California communities as the state continues refusing to honor ICE detainers.
The Department of Homeland Security said there are currently 33,179 illegal aliens in the custody of California jurisdictions with active ICE detainers. According to DHS, those individuals include suspects and convicts tied to 399 homicides, more than 3,300 assaults, over 3,100 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses, along with thousands of drug and weapons crimes.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons formally raised the alarm in a letter sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, urging the state to cooperate with federal authorities and prioritize public safety. Lyons warned that California’s sanctuary policies are directly leading to the release of dangerous offenders.
Since January 20, ICE says California agencies have already released 4,561 criminal illegal aliens after refusing to honor detainers. Those releases included individuals linked to 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 drug offenses, and 234 sexual predatory crimes.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused state leaders of knowingly putting residents at risk. “Governor Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” she said. “Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”
DHS highlighted multiple caseswhere ICE detainers were ignored, including individuals convicted of first-degree murder, attempted murder, child sex crimes, gang activity, and violent assaults. In several cases, ICE later re-arrested the suspects after they had already been released by local authorities. Some were eventually removed from the United States, others remain in custody pending court proceedings.
One case involved a Mexican national convicted of first-degree murder and robbery who was released despite an ICE detainer, and later apprehended by federal agents. Another involved a Chinese national arrested for sexual assault who was released before ICE later re-arrested him.
DHS noted that jurisdictions cooperating with ICE consistently report lower violent crime rates, adding that seven of the ten safest cities in the US work directly with federal immigration enforcement.
Federal officials say they are continuing to press California to reverse course, warning that without cooperation, releases will continue and the risks to public safety will only grow.
