A Venezuelan immigrant, who requested to be sent to Rikers Island, has been transferred to federal authorities to avoid being kept in detention while he awaits immigration proceedings.
Norveiro Bella Ordnez, aged 30, was arrested on June 4 at Manhattan Crown Court on charges related to stolen property, specifically for allegedly taking a bicycle. This occurred while immigration and customs enforcement agents waited outside the courtroom.
The judge had initially set a “voluntary” bail of $100, but he was unable to evade federal actions indefinitely. Ordnez was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security on a federal warrant three weeks ago, as confirmed by authorities this week.
A spokesperson for the City Department of Corrections noted in an email, “This individual was released to the Department of Homeland Security on a federal arrest warrant,” adding that he had paid bail on local charges before his transfer.
According to the department, Ordnez was delivered to federal custody on June 23.
New York, which is known as an immigrant-friendly “sanctuary city,” has laws that allow inmates to be handed over to other jurisdictions if there is probable cause for immigration detention or if they have been convicted of qualifying violent crimes in the last five years.
Federal sources indicated that Ordnez was held at the Brooklyn Federal Lockup this week, awaiting transfer to Texas.
As of Monday evening, he was reported to be out of ICE custody and had no current deportation schedule, according to sources.
Ordnez’s arrest stemmed from accusations of bicycle theft, leading to charges of fourth-degree criminal mischief, petty theft, and fifth-degree criminal possession.
During court proceedings, his public defender asked Judge Rachel Pauley about the possibility of a $100 bail, referencing state laws that allow defendants to request bail despite certain limitations. Judge Pauley called such requests “very rare,” yet she accepted the plea.
Nonetheless, less than three weeks after the bail request, Ordnez was transferred to federal jurisdiction.
