PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Amilcar Josue Villalvir Mendez, a Honduran national, on Feb. 27 after Northampton County Prison in Easton failed to honor an immigration detainer. ICE officials criticized the county’s decision, citing public safety concerns.
Villalvir has prior convictions for aggravated assault, theft, drug possession, and other offenses. He was initially arrested in September 2021 for assaulting his girlfriend and sentenced to up to 23 months in prison. In February 2024, he was arrested again for theft and fraud after surveillance footage showed him withdrawing money from his deceased girlfriend’s bank account just hours after her death from a drug overdose.
“Northampton County choosing to place politics over safety instead of honoring our detainer put everyone involved at unnecessary risk,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane.
ICE continues to urge local jurisdictions to cooperate with immigration detainers to prevent the release of criminal aliens into the community.