Department of Homeland Security Advocates for Detention of Criminal Immigrants in California

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reiterated its request to California Governor Gavin Newsom to ensure that dangerous criminal immigrants remain in law enforcement custody. This plea follows a troubling incident where federal agents tried to arrest a suspect in jail but faced a physical confrontation with anti-ICE protestors.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), there are currently 33,179 active detainees in California, involving criminal immigrants held across local jails, state prisons, and federal facilities. Since January 20, 2025, a total of 4,561 criminal immigrants have been released into communities after their cases were overlooked by law enforcement, as noted by DHS.

“We urge Governor Newsom and his team to honor the situation of the over 33,000 criminal detainees under ICE’s watch in California. This is not just a common sense approach; it’s vital for public safety,” stated Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. She added, “Criminal immigrants should not be released back into society, potentially endangering innocent Americans. It’s noteworthy that seven of the ten safest cities in the U.S. work together with ICE.”

DHS made a similar appeal last week. They highlighted that the prior administration emphasized how failure to respect ICE detainees jeopardizes community safety.

In response, Newsom’s office directed inquiries to a previous post, asserting, “California collaborates with ICE to remove convicts, including serious offenders like rapists and murderers.” Since Newsom assumed office in 2019, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has facilitated transfers of over 12,000 individuals, which includes various violent offenders to ICE custody.

“The claims made by Secretary Noem are not accurate; California does not ‘house criminals,'” the governor’s office declared in a statement. “Our laws hold violent offenders accountable without silencing victims or witnesses, especially those affected by domestic violence and human trafficking.”

On February 2, DHS referenced a specific incident at the Ventura County Jail in California, where authorities were trying to detain Jorge Lopez Santos. Santos faced several charges, including possession of a controlled substance and trespassing.

As law enforcement attempted to apprehend Santos within the jail, the facility refused to cooperate. Consequently, federal agents were compelled to make the arrest outside the jail.

“During this operation, about 15 protestors surrounded the officers and tried to obstruct the arrest,” said DHS. “One protestor physically assaulted a federal officer during the altercation and was later taken into custody.”

Authorities revealed that Santos was granted entry into the U.S. in November 2021 as a nonimmigrant worker, allowing him to stay until August 2022. However, he struggled to depart the country after his visa expired.