An immigrant sex offender who entered the country illegally was nabbed by federal immigration agents in the city, weeks after he was released from prison on child sexual abuse charges, authorities said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that Raymond Rojas Basilio, 36, was arrested in Queens on Tuesday, about three months after completing a short prison sentence for a conviction for sexual abuse of a child under 11. announced that he was arrested at his home.
Records show Basilio, a Mexican national who has entered the U.S. illegally multiple times over the decades, has been incarcerated since his arrest in August 2023, and after serving a 60-day sentence in September. He was released on the 20th.
He was also briefly detained on November 13, but the reason is unclear.
ICE said the city released the man before it filed a detention request and blamed local shelter policies for why sex offenders were not informed that they were being released.
“Unfortunately, the non-cooperation policy prevented ERO.” [Enforcement and Removal Operations] “This individual cannot be taken into immediate custody after the completion of his local sentence,” ICE's New York division said in a statement.
“As this incident shows, it only takes one successful trespass to cause irreparable harm to members of our community,” the agency added.
Detainer serves as a hold request for ICE suspect detainees who are in the country illegally. Although the city is not required to detain someone without a detainee, the city's custody policy often prevents investigators from asking questions about immigration status or cooperating with immigration officials.
Without such a policy, authorities may have remained in contact and suspects would not have had the opportunity to evade law enforcement.
A Department of Corrections spokesperson told the Post that the agency “processes ICE detainees in accordance with local laws that define the extent of our cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
According to ICE, Basilio was first arrested three times as far back in 2002 as he tried to cross the southern border. He encountered border officials two more times in 2012 and was sent back to Mexico, officials said.
It is unclear when and where he finally entered the country.
He is currently in the process of being deported to Mexico, but some local lawmakers are fed up with the city's sanctuary policy.
“Raymond Rojas Basilio’s arrest highlights the failure of sanctuary city laws and open border policies,” said City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens).
“Despite being stopped numerous times over 20 years, he was ultimately able to enter the country illegally and commit horrific crimes against children in our community,” he added. “ICE did a commendable job in arresting him, but their job could not be this difficult. To ensure public safety and prevent further tragedies, sanctuary city laws must be repealed. No.”
“It's because of monsters like this that we need to end sanctuary policies,” said City Councilwoman Joanne Arriola (R-Queens).
“People like Raymond Rojas Basilio are taking advantage of policies concocted by out-of-touch progressive state legislators, and now innocent children are being irreparably harmed.” she stated. “This needs to end. ICE needs to get in here and start deporting these criminals before more people get hurt.”
City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) said the suspect's face should be depicted on campaign ads and posters “like a scarlet letter.”
“The NYPD's failure to cooperate with ICE only helps these despicables,” he added.
