A woman, who immigrated illegally from Honduras, was deported after being convicted of attempting to kill her newborn in Long Island, New York. Soiri Xiomara Aparicio Santos, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was removed from the U.S. following her prison sentence. She had served eight years of a ten-year sentence after her conviction for attempted second-degree murder, among other charges, in 2018.
Aparicio Santos entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2014 and had a deportation order in place since then. Authorities noted that while she was originally sentenced to 16 years, this was later reduced. Nevertheless, cooperation between local authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilitated her deportation after she finished her prison term.
Living in Center Reach, Suffolk County, New York, Aparicio Santos’ attempted murder incident occurred in 2017 when she allegedly tried to suffocate her child. The infant escaped serious injury and was subsequently placed into foster care after police were alerted by family members.
ICE had initially issued a detainer order against her during her arrest in 2017, and then again while she was serving her sentence. Lauren Biss, the Acting Assistant Secretary at DHS, commended the local law enforcement for their collaboration in ensuring her deportation, expressing that such efforts are crucial for community safety.
In her release, Biss described Aparicio Santos as a “brutal criminal” and mentioned the necessity for ongoing cooperation between local and federal authorities to maintain safety. However, this stands in stark contrast to New York City’s stance on immigration enforcement, as its leadership has been more resistant to cooperating with ICE. Suffolk County has faced legal challenges related to its enforcement practices, which could complicate its relationship with immigrations laws.
DHS highlighted that many of the safest cities in the U.S. work closely with ICE, stressing that local cooperation is vital for addressing criminal activities among undocumented individuals. The department warns that if local law enforcement is restricted from collaborating with DHS, they might have to adopt more visible tactics to apprehend released criminals.
