NEWARK, NJ – A Dominican national accused of sexually abusing a child under 11 was arrested in New Jersey last week by federal immigration officers after the NYPD released him without notifying ICE, citing sanctuary city policies.
Robert Reid Mendez Jimenez, who is subject to a final deportation order from 2018, was taken into custody on Tuesday by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark officers after a targeted operation to locate him in the community. He had been arrested earlier by the NYPD on multiple child predatory offenses but was released when New York City officials declined to honor an immigration detainer request.
Federal officials say Mendez was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse, including sexual conduct with a child under the age of 11, before being released by city authorities without alerting ICE.
Following his release, ICE agents launched a manhunt using intelligence and surveillance resources to track Mendez to his location in Newark, where he was arrested without incident. He now remains in ICE custody pending his removal from the U.S.
ICE officials have criticized New York City’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration detainers, warning that such policies allow dangerous individuals back into communities instead of being turned over to federal custody.
Mendez originally entered the United States illegally and was ordered removed by a judge more than six years ago. His failure to leave the country, combined with the new criminal charges, has made his case a high priority for immigration enforcement officers in the region.