Well, at least ICE is doing their jobs.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website, agents arrested a Salvadorian national just one day after the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in Asheville, N.C. released the man despite being convicted “for indecent liberties against a child.”
ICE reported:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested unlawfully present Salvadoran national Marvin Ramirez Torres Wednesday afternoon during a targeted enforcement action in downtown Asheville, one day after the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office refused to honor an ICE detainer, and instead released Mr. Ramirez Torres from local criminal custody following his conviction for indecent liberties against a child.
By releasing an illegal alien with a serious sex offense against a child, Buncombe County chose to release a serious public safety threat into the Asheville community where he was free to potentially harm others until his capture by ICE.
“This is yet another example of a clear public safety threat being released into North Carolina communities rather than into ICE custody due to local sheriff policies on ICE non-cooperation,” Acting ICE Director Matt Albence said in a statement. “Continued decisions to refuse cooperation with ICE serve as an open invitation to aliens who commit criminal offenses that these counties are a safe haven for persons seeking to evade federal authorities, and residents of Buncombe County are less safe due to these misguided sanctuary policies.”
Back in February, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that his office would no longer honor or cooperate with ICE agents concerning ICE detainers.
“The sheriff's office will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, however, we do not make or enforce immigration laws; that is not part of our law enforcement duties,” Miller said, according to the Citizen Times.
North Carolina in general doesn’t seem to cooperate with ICE, as the ICE statement claims “local authorities [across North Carolina] refused to honor more than 500 detainers for foreign nationals during Fiscal Year 2019.”