A top Homeland Security deportation official blasted New York for refusing to cooperate with a request to hold illegal immigrants for pickup, saying the city ended up releasing an accused sex trafficker back onto the streets.
Enyerbert Alberto Blanco, a Venezuelan, and Yenire Karolina Pacheco Leiton, a Colombian citizen, were nabbed in Florida earlier this month on multiple charges, including human trafficking for her and resisting arrest for him.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said both were previously arrested in New York City last year. ICE tried to place deportation detainer requests to have them turned over before release, but the city defied the detainer in the case of Mr. Blanco and released Ms. Pacheco even before the detainer could be filed.
“Current New York City policies preclude city law enforcement agencies from cooperating or communicating with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. These policies inadvertently allow criminals to freely roam our city and country, subjecting New Yorkers and all Americans to unnecessary harm,” said Kenneth Genalo, head of ICE’s deportation operations in New York.
ICE had its own crack at Mr. Blanco.
After Border Patrol agents arrested him in Texas in May 2023, they turned him over to ICE, which set him free on June 16, 2023, under one of the Biden administration’s “parole” programs.
Months later, on Oct. 31, he was arrested in New York and charged with murder intent, reckless endangerment and criminal use of a firearm. Those charges are pending, but the city released him in defiance of the ICE detainer.
He would go on to be arrested earlier this month on charges of resisting arrest and interfering with custody of a minor. Ms. Pacheco, arrested at the same time, was charged with human trafficking and interfering with custody of a minor.
Ms. Pacheco was also arrested by Border Patrol agents on May 6, 2023 — the same as Mr. Blanco. Agents released her three days later, though ICE didn’t give a specific legal justification for that release.
She was arrested in New York on July 29, 2023, for reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon. ICE said the city released her before deportation officers could file a detainer request.
New York’s corrections department said it couldn’t confirm Mr. Blanco was in its custody without a state identification number.
The Washington Times also reached out to the city’s mayor and police department.
New York restricts its cooperation with ICE in several ways, including refusing to detain a deportation target or even to alert ICE before a target is released.
The city has exceptions for cases where someone has been convicted of serious violent crimes. In the case of Ms. Pacheco and Mr. Blanco, the charges were still pending when the city released them.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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