Federal immigration authorities have taken custody of an illegal migrant who was convicted of assaulting a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer in July.
Darwin Andres Gomez Izquiel, a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. unlawfully under the Biden-Harris administration, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Oct. 10 after he was handed over by local authorities, according to the agency. The apprehension marks a notable break from New York City’s sanctuary policies, which typically forbid local police from cooperating with ICE. (RELATED: New York City Reportedly Seeking 14,000 Hotel Rooms For Migrants, To Spend Over $2 Billion As Crisis Rages On)
The NYPD arrested Gomez on Jan. 27 on charges of assaulting a police officer, second-degree gang assault, disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration, according to ICE. The charges pertained to a mob attack against two NYPD cops who were attempting to control a disorderly group of migrants in Times Square.
“Gomez-Izquiel is a criminal and threat to the public servants, residents and businesses of New York City,” Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City field office director Kenneth Genalo said. “We will not allow our communities to become safe havens for noncitizens who refuse to abide our laws.”
TOPSHOT – NYPD police officers watch demonstrators in Times Square on June 1, 2020, during a “Black Lives Matter” protest. – New York’s mayor Bill de Blasio today declared a city curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am, as sometimes violent anti-racism protests roil communities nationwide. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
“ERO New York City will continue to work with unending determination to apprehend and remove these violent criminal offenders,” Genalo continued.
Border Patrol agents first encountered Gomez in August 2023 near the Rio Grande Valley in Texas after he was observed illegally crossing into the U.S., but he later withdrew his application for admission and voluntarily returned to Mexico, according to ICE. Border agents encountered him again in October 2023 after he illegally crossed into the U.S., this time near the Del Rio Sector, with agents issuing him a notice to appear before an immigration judge and releasing him into the country.
Upon his release, Gomez was instructed to report to the nearest ICE office for his intended destination, but the agency said he did not appear to comply with this order.
The New York County Supreme Court convicted Gomez of the assault and sentenced him to one year in jail. ICE had a detainer lodged against him since his arrest, and he now remains in the agency’s custody.
Local law enforcement’s handover of the Venezuelan national over to ICE comes as the city’s sanctuary laws remain a heated topic. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, local police and some moderate members of the city council have called on the government to roll back the sanctuary laws on the books, which would allow ICE agents to more easily apprehend criminal migrants.
However, the New York City Council, which is dominated by liberal Democrats, have remained stiff in their opposition to legislation that would amend the sanctuary status of the Big Apple.
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