Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are criticizing Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), accusing him of shielding undocumented immigrants who are facing serious criminal allegations, including charges related to gang activity, sexual assault, and other violent crimes.
On Monday, ICE published a list of unlawful immigrants in Illinois, highlighting individuals who have benefitted from sanctuary policies that shield them from arrest and deportation. Some of these individuals have returned to the community.
One of the individuals mentioned is Gabriel J. Valle Galvez, a 47-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who has a lengthy criminal record including battery, aggravated assault, DUI, and multiple counts of assault. He is also identified as a member of the Latin Kings gang. Despite these offenses, he has been released from Cook County Jail on several occasions.
Another case is Javier Carmelo Casilla Gomez, a 46-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who has been convicted of various crimes including drug possession and domestic violence. ICE has sought to detain him at Cook County Jail, but with little success.
Victor Manuel Gomez Atyrano, a 45-year-old undocumented immigrant who has been previously deported, also made the list. He has a conviction for illegal weapon use, yet was released by the Illinois Department of Corrections despite an ICE hold.
Ricardo Salas Muro, a 41-year-old from Mexico, has convictions for robbery and drug possession. He too was released despite ICE detainers on record.
27-year-old Danny Daniel Hernandez Corina from Venezuela, linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, has been repeatedly arrested but was released from Cook County Jail after an immigration order for his removal was disregarded.
Carlos Johendi Gonzalez Montero, a 36-year-old from Venezuela and also a Tren de Aragua gang member, has a criminal history including armed violence. His detainment requests were ignored by the jail as well.
Oscar Remy Bens, a 30-year-old from Mexico with ties to two gangs, has been convicted of illegal weapon use and battery, and has been released multiple times despite ICE holds.
Franksmar Oliveira Infante, a 39-year-old from Venezuela, has aggravated assault and illegal weapon use convictions, and is deemed armed and dangerous due to prior releases.
28-year-old Rutilo Uriostegui Mojica from Mexico was released despite an ICE detainer for drug-related offenses and DUIs.
Pedro Enrique Cormenales Gonzalez, a 34-year-old from Venezuela with a history of illegal weapon use and sexual assault, was released on multiple occasions despite ICE intervention.
Lastly, Abdul Raza Al-Qabi, a 60-year-old from Iraq, has a serious criminal past, including attempted murder. He has been repeatedly released from prison despite an order for removal dating back to 1997.
Confronted with this list of undocumented immigrants protected under Illinois’ sanctuary policies, ICE introduced Operation Midway Blitz. This initiative aims to apprehend individuals using these policies to evade federal law enforcement.
The operation is named in memory of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old from Illinois who tragically lost her life in a drunk driving accident allegedly caused by an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala.
In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security emphasized, “This operation will focus on the most serious offenders among illegal immigrants in Chicago.”
“For years, Governor Pritzker and his fellow sanctuary supporters have repeatedly released individuals with serious criminal backgrounds, including members of dangerous gangs,” McLaughlin stated. She added that the message is clear: cities should not serve as safe havens for criminals.
