‘A Revolving Door for Criminal Aliens’

November 16, 2018

IRLI reveals New Jersey jail released alleged murderer, many others

WASHINGTON—An investigation by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) has revealed that a New Jersey county jail has refused a shocking number of immigration detainer requests for criminal aliens, including one for a Mexican national who allegedly murdered three people and wounded two others earlier this month.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by IRLI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released records regarding law enforcement agencies that failed to honor ICE detainers. For a 20-month period, ending on July 15, 2018, the investigation revealed that the Middlesex (N.J.) County Jail (MCJ) declined to honor 92 immigration holds, 52 of which were classified by ICE as threat Level 1 and 2 offenses. These include, but are not limited to, espionage, terrorist threats, arson/incendiary devices, bombing offenses, homicide, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, sale and possession of drugs, money laundering, burglary, fraud, and forgery.

Luis Rodrigo Perez, 23, was a beneficiary of former President Obama’s executive order on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Perez was released from MCJ, which has a history of thumbing its nose at ICE, ignoring immigration detainers and releasing dangerous criminal aliens back into the community without even alerting ICE. Perez allegedly went on a killing spree earlier this month in Springfield, Mo., brutally killing three innocent Americans and wounding two others before law enforcement authorities arrested him last week. Last year, the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders officially ordered the county sheriff not to assist ICE and ordered the jail to ignore any “hold” requests made by ICE.

“Middlesex County does not want to protect its citizens from dangerous criminal aliens and is putting politics ahead of public safety by releasing them without notifying ICE,” said former acting ICE Director Tom Homan. “These aliens present a clear and present danger to national security and the public. This policy is also endangering ICE agents when these criminal aliens are no longer in police custody and ICE has to arrest them elsewhere.”

Sanctuary policies nationwide provide illegal aliens with prior convictions or pending criminal prosecution the opportunity to kill or commit other heinous crimes with government sanctioned impunity. There are currently almost 200 states, counties and cities that have sanctuary policies barring their employees from cooperating with ICE detainers.

“This investigation shows that the Middlesex County Jail is essentially a revolving door for criminal aliens,” said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel for IRLI. “The consequences of sanctuary policies should be unacceptable to anyone who values the safety of their families and their communities. No one in this country should have to get a call informing them that a family member was murdered by someone who was here illegally and in police custody, only to be released because of incredibly dangerous sanctuary laws.”

For additional information, contact: Brian Lonergan • 202-232-5590 • blonergan@irli.org