As the left continues to fight against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), some blue states continue to be uncooperative with the federal agency, even when it comes to criminals in their jail systems who have ICE detainers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently called on Gov. Gavin Newsom not to release the 33,179 criminal illegal immigrants currently incarcerated in California who have detainers. The urgent plea seems warranted since the Golden State has already released 4,561 criminal illegals since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, 2025.
Illegal Immigrants Released Into Communities
Most sanctuary cities and states have policies that prohibit or restrict local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration officers, which includes informing the agency when they have an illegal alien with an ICE detainer. California is one of those states, and of the 4,561 illegal immigrants it has released, 1,489 were tied to dangerous drugs, 661 to assaults, 379 to weapon offenses, 234 to sexual predator cases, and 31 to homicide incidents.
The idea was to take Santos into custody inside the jail, but because of sanctuary laws, the agents had to arrest Santos in the lobby of the jail. However, that turned into a fiasco when 15 protesters gathered outside, surrounded the officers, and tried to prevent the criminal migrant from being arrested. One of the agitators physically assaulted a federal officer.
This wasn’t the first time California politicians refused to honor a detainer on Santos. In 2025, he was arrested by the Oxnard Police Department for drug-possession charges and was released back into the community.
Then-Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called out Gov. Newsom in a press release:
“We are calling on Governor Newsom and his administration to commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California’s custody. It is common sense and vital for public safety. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans. If we work together, we can make America safe again. 7 of the 10 safest cities in the U.S. cooperate with ICE law enforcement.”
Of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants facing deportation in California, 8,380 were involved in “dangerous” drug offenses, 3,313 in assaults, 1,984 in weapons charges, 1,293 in sexual predator cases, and 399 in homicides.
Newsom’s Response: We Cooperate
Newsom’s press office tried to lay the blame for high numbers of illegal immigrants with detainers on a recent social media post from President Donald Trump’s account that put the faces of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on monkeys’ bodies, according to The Washington Times.
Then, the office remarked that the Golden State has honored 10,588 detainer requests since Newsom took office in 2019, explaining, “California cooperates with ICE when it comes to REMOVING CRIMINALS — like sick rapists and murderers — in our state prisons.” But when one considers the more than 4,500 criminal illegal immigrants that were released in the last year, among them some serious offenses, one might wonder just what crimes California officials consider serious enough to warrant cooperation with ICE. According to the state’s laws, officials are allowed to notify the federal agency of release dates for immigrants with specific crimes, ranging from kidnapping, bribery, sex crimes, domestic violence, and felony DUI.
“But the law restricts cooperation in other cases, including when local authorities first arrest someone. That’s often when ICE wants to take custody of them,” The Times explained.
What happened to the days when law enforcement agencies supported each other in bringing justice to those who commit crimes and getting dangerous criminals off the streets? Now it seems politics guides the men and women in blue and pits them against the federal government.
