NEW YORK – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged 10 immigration detainers through the previous two years on an illegally current Dominican nationwide after he was arrested on 10 separate events by the New York Police Division (NYPD). After every arrest, he was launched into the neighborhood to reoffend with lively immigration detainers in place.
“Jhonny Alejandro Soto-Ubaldo is one among many examples of how New York’s sanctuary metropolis insurance policies place the protection of the residents in danger. Their willful uncooperative nature offers criminals equivalent to Soto-Ubaldo the chance to re-offend,” stated Tony H. Pham, senior official performing the duties of the director for ICE.
Soto-Ubaldo was first arrested by the NYPD in June 2018 on native fees in Queens. At the moment, ICE lodged an immigration detainer, however he was launched with out notification to ICE. Lower than two months later, he was rearrested, and ICE lodged one other immigration detainer, and he was as soon as once more, launched into the neighborhood to reoffend. The next 12 months, ICE lodged six further detainers on the Soto-Ubaldo after his arrests for crimes between April and October 2019, and he was launched every time, despite the fact that lively immigration detainers have been in place.
ICE additionally lodged immigration detainers with the NYPD, which weren’t honored, after Soto-Ubaldo’s arrest for unauthorized use of a automobile and felony possession of stolen property in March 2020 and following his arrest for felony mischief and assault in Might 2020.
In September 2020, he was arrested on federal firearms fees and is presently in U.S. Marshals custody; ICE has an lively immigration detainer lodged with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. ICE will take custody of Soto-Ubaldo following the decision of firearms fees, that are pending earlier than the U.S. District Court docket for the Japanese District of New York.
“What makes this case so irritating is that native legislation enforcement didn’t honor 10 detainers, regardless of Soto-Ubaldo’s prolonged felony historical past. How can native politicians – in good conscience – say they’re defending their constituents after they move legal guidelines that launch criminals again into our communities? Detainer non-cooperation threatens public security. It’s lucky for the residents of New York Metropolis, that the topic is now being held on federal fees, and the ICE detainer will lastly be honored,” stated Thomas R. Decker, discipline workplace director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removing Operations New York Subject Workplace.
Along with the pending federal fees, Soto-Ubaldo additionally faces pending fees in Queens and Nassau Counties for assault, harassment, felony mischief, grand larceny, petit larceny, felony possession of stolen property and felony possession of a firearm.
He was beforehand featured on ICE.gov as a public security risk to the area people after the NYPD didn’t honor a number of ICE detainers.
About Detainers
ICE depends on the alternate of data with its legislation enforcement company companions to entry foreign-born inmates at native, state, and federal amenities, and using detainers as a part of its public security mission. In lots of instances, these people pose a demonstrable risk to communities.
By lodging detainers towards these people, ICE makes each effort to make sure that detachable aliens are turned over to ICE custody after their felony detention moderately than being launched into the neighborhood the place many abscond or reoffend.
Over the past fiscal 12 months, the ICE ERO New York Subject Workplace lodged 7,526 detainers towards people for crimes together with murder, theft, assault, sexual assault, weapons violations, and driving beneath the affect. The themes of the detainers accounted for 17,873 felony convictions, and 6,500 felony fees.
