Federal agents say the man, who overstayed his visa, was training to become a corrections officer when charged with multiple sex crimes.
Media, Pa. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials say they were forced to arrest a Sierra Leone national accused of rape after Delaware County authorities released him despite an active immigration detainer. According to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia office, the suspect, Ibrahim George Kallon, had overstayed his visitor visa and was arrested while training to become a corrections officer at Delaware County Prison.
Key Points
- Ibrahim George Kallon, an undocumented immigrant from Sierra Leone, was charged with multiple sex offenses.
- Delaware County Prison released him back into the community despite an ICE detainer request.
- ICE agents later arrested Kallon at-large on February 11.
Arrest and charges
Glenolden Borough Police charged Kallon with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, false imprisonment, and indecent assault. Authorities say his visitor visa expired in 2024, rendering him unlawfully present in the United States.
After his arrest, ICE lodged an immigration detainer asking Delaware County Prison to hold Kallon for federal custody. Instead, local authorities released him, prompting federal agents to track him down in the community and take him into custody.
ICE response
ICE criticized Delaware County’s handling of the case, saying the release placed the public at risk. “If the county won’t protect its own residents, we’ll do it for them,” ICE said in a statement posted on social media.
Federal agents arrested Kallon on February 11 without incident. He remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
Sanctuary policy tensions
Delaware County is among several jurisdictions in Pennsylvania that have limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, often declining to honor ICE detainers without a judicial warrant. ICE officials say those policies endanger communities by requiring agents to conduct at-large arrests in residential neighborhoods rather than secure jail settings.
The case has renewed debate over sanctuary policies and local cooperation with immigration authorities in Pennsylvania.
Tags: Pennsylvania, ICE, Delaware County