SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A Mexican citizen with a history of violence was arrested by federal agents Thursday after being released from local custody despite a federal arrest warrant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, had pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in New York state court and was in the custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials had issued a warrant for his arrest on illegal reentry charges, but the sheriff’s office, citing sanctuary city policies, refused to honor it and released him on January 28 before ICE agents arrived.
Federal authorities launched a search and recaptured Romero-Hernandez under what they described as “wholly avoidable circumstances.” Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove criticized the sheriff’s office, saying, “The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are.”
Romero-Hernandez had been charged on January 8 with illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal, a federal offense. He is now in federal custody and awaiting arraignment in Syracuse.