Keep up the good work ICE! Make next year another successful year.

 

Exclusive: ICE gives Christmas gift to Americans by arresting 'worst of the worst' criminal migrants

By Misty Severi justthenews.com 12-19-25

The arrests occurred Thursday and includes an illegal migrant from Chile who is allegedly part of the transnational organized crime enterprise the South American Theft Group. The migrant was convicted of burglary in California.

The Department of Homeland Security on Friday shared its latest "worst of the worst" roundup of illegal migrants with Just The News that includes migrants who were convicted of burglary, bank robbery and aggravated kidnapping.  

The arrests, made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, occurred Thursday and includes an illegal migrant from Chile who is allegedly part of the transnational organized crime enterprise the South American Theft Group. The migrant was convicted of burglary in California. 

“Violent criminal illegal aliens who break our laws have absolutely no business remaining in the United States,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We are thankful for our law enforcement who delivered the best Christmas gift for American families this holiday season: safer communities.” 

The arrests are part of the Department of Homeland Security's mission to enact President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda of removing as many as 21 million illegal migrants from the United States. 

One of the migrants identified by ICE is Luis Enrique Castaneda-Reyes, a criminal illegal migrant from Colombia, who has 10 criminal convictions that include bank robbery by force and violent crimes involving drugs and a machine gun.

Another migrant is Elidelfo Castro-Nava, who is originally from Mexico but was convicted in Utah of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury in the 3rd degree.

Juan Emerson Gomez-Sorto, a migrant from El Salvador, was also convicted of aggravated assault in Utah and Jesser Sandoval-Cruz, a criminal illegal migrant from Honduras, was convicted of assault of a family member after a previous conviction in Harris County, Texas.  

The full list of the Trump administration's' "worst of the worst" illegal migrants can now be found on the DHS website wow.dhs.gov, which documents the most extreme offenders apprehended by ICE.

 

An interesting post about polls.

 

Poll: Plurality Want Less or Zero Legal Migration

Neil Munro 17 Dec 2025 breitbart.com

Two-thirds of Republicans want legalized migration to be decreased or ended, says a new poll by YouGov.

In contrast, 17 percent of Democrats want legalized migration to be cut back, says the poll of 1,632 citizens, which was conducted December 11-15.

But 37 percent of Democratic voters want more legal migration, and as does six percent of GOP voters, said the poll.

Amid the partisan polarization, there is a two-to-one plurality for less migration vs more migration. Just 18 percent of citizens want legalized migration to be increased, while 35 percent want it decreased or zeroed.

Twenty-five percent said the number should not be changed, even though establishment outlets rarely described the actual inflow of legalized migrants each year. Under Joe Biden, the inflow of all migrants was roughly level with the number of births.

Each year, the federal government imports more than 1.2 million legalized permanent or temporary migrants. That is roughly one legalized migrant for every three births.

The 26 percent who favor “decreased” migration is the plurality score in the YouGov poll, partly because an unusually large 19 percent of respondents declined to reveal their preference.

The December poll was a close match for a prior November poll by YouGov.

Other polls show overwhelming support for the deportation of all illegal migrants who commit major crimes, and a solid majority support for the deportation of all illegal migrants.

The sharp partisan differences in migration help to explain the wild swings in U.S. immigration policies during the last decade, and why Congress cannot forge a compromise.

But opinion polls also seem to show wild swings in public support for and against migration. For example, a new Gallup poll shows apparent support for more migration amid President Donald Trump’s curbs on legal and illegal migration.

To View Social Media

View on twitter.com

But the small print in the Gallup poll says the result excluded comments from people “who volunteer that the effects [of migration] are ‘mixed’ or who do not have an opinion.”

The Gallup skew was ignored by pro-migration advocates. “You’ve already lost,” taunted Taiwanese immigrant Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) in a December 17 social-media message that spotlighted results from the Gallup poll. “America is even more pro immigration under your watch.”

In general, “When looking more deeply at attitudes on immigration, sentiment can vary widely based on the details included in specific poll questions, reflecting the complexity of the issue,” the New York Times reported in November. It continued:

When polls mention “border security,” approval tends to be higher. In a Marquette Law School poll taken this month, more than half of Americans — 54 percent — said they approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of “border security” — nine percentage points higher than the share who approved of him on “immigration.”

But less than a third of Americans favored deporting undocumented immigrants to “foreign prisons in El Salvador, Rwanda, or Libya” in a P.R.R.I. poll taken from August to September. And there is little support for the idea of deporting immigrants who are in the country legally.

Overall, many polls reveal that Americans want to like — and to be seen liking — immigrants and immigration, even as the majority also oppose the damage caused by loose borders.

The economic damage includes lower wages, high housing costs, chaotic diversity, and raucous politics, while the benefits flow overwhelmingly to migrants, employers, and older investors.

To View Social Media

View on twitter.com

This tension between generously wanting to like migrants and the reality of migration’s consequences can be seen in polls.

For example, a new YouTube poll shows a huge income-related gap in attitudes towards migration. The “increased” immigration option is backed by just 13 percent of people who earn less than $50,000 per year — and by 27 percent of people who earn more than $100,000 per year. In contrast, the racial gap is far smaller: Just 17 percent of whites and 22 percent of Hispanics favor more migration.

 

The horrific consequences of lawless action or nor action at all of sanctuary cities and states - continue to ravage our once great Republic.

 

Two Sanctuary States Release Nearly 9,000 Criminal Aliens with ICE Detainers Since January

12-16-25 judicialwatch.org

The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has made great strides in a short time, but over a dozen states are making the effort more difficult by offering illegal aliens—even those convicted of serious crimes—sanctuary. Just two of those states, New York and Illinois, have released nearly 9,000 criminal aliens from jails and prisons since January 20, defying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers to deport them. Among the offenders protected by the sanctuary policies are murderers, terrorists, sexual predators and kidnappers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirms this month. Almost 7,000 criminal aliens flagged by ICE were released from custody in the state of New York during the roughly 10-month period examined by DHS. Illinois released more than 1,700 criminal aliens from jails and prisons throughout the state rather than turn them over to federal authorities for removal. The failure to honor ICE detainers has led to “numerous illegal alien murderers, rapists, and pedophiles being released” back into sanctuary communities, Homeland Security officials have established.

In New York the crimes committed by illegal aliens released since the end of January include 29 homicides, 2,509 assaults, 199 burglaries, 305 robberies, 392 dangerous drugs offenses, 300 weapons offenses, and 207 sexual predatory offenses. Among those freed is a Turkish Known or Suspected Terrorist (KST) named Selman Cevik who was let go after being jailed for first degree menacing and harassment, a rapist, Huseyin Aslan, also charged with assault and criminal contempt, and two gang members with convictions or charges for assault, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery. The list is extensive and, alarmingly, the released criminal aliens have been replaced with new ones, according to DHS, which reveals that currently there are 7,113 criminal aliens in custody in New York jails with an active ICE detainer. Their crimes include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses. New York Attorney General Letitia James and her fellow “sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and sexual predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin.

The same thing is going on in Illinois where Governor JB Pritzker’s statewide sanctuary policies have released 1,768 criminal illegal aliens since January 20 rather than turn them over to ICE for removal. The crimes of these aliens include five homicides, 141 assaults, 23 burglaries, 4 robberies, 24 dangerous drugs offenses, 15 weapons offenses, and 10 sexual predatory offenses. Among them is Mexican Victor Manuel Mendoza-Garcia convicted of three counts of aggravated kidnapping/ransom and sentenced to 18 years by a Cook County Court, Mexican Amilcar Waldo Gonzalez-Jimenez, convicted of driving under the influence, domestic battery and criminal sexual assault and Mexican Jaime Mandujano-Nunez sentenced to 17 years imprisonment after a 2012 conviction for predatory criminal sex assault of a child in Cook County. DHS reveals that there are currently 4,015 illegal immigrants in the custody of an Illinois jurisdiction with an active ICE detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 51 homicides, 1,134 assaults, 107 burglaries, 36 robberies, 275 dangerous drugs offenses, 120 weapons offenses, and 813 sexual predatory offenses. “We are calling on Governor Pritzker and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 4,000 criminal illegal aliens in Illinois’ custody,” said McLaughlin, pointing out that criminal illegal aliens should not be released back into our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.

Like New York and Illinois, dozens of local governments throughout the U.S. shield illegal immigrants by offering sanctuary. Earlier this year the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. An analysis conducted by the Washington D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) reveals that from October 1, 2022, to February 6, 2025, more than 25,000 criminal aliens were released from jails and prisons around the country. California was by far the biggest offender, releasing more than half (13,025) of the alien criminals by declining ICE detainers, the CIS probe found.

 

Do you know of anything that 'clogs the court system' more than immigration?

 

Wisconsin Supreme Court Threatens To Obstruct Immigration Enforcement 

By: Daniel Lennington December 15, 2025 thefederalist.com

If the state supreme court declares Wisconsin a sanctuary state, the unintended consequences may include more ICE agents in the state.

Wisconsin has two sanctuary cities: Madison and Milwaukee. Officials in those jurisdictions won’t cooperate with ICE. Now Wisconsin could become a sanctuary state due to a new case pending at the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Contrary to media images of ICE agents rounding up illegal immigrants on street corners, most deportations originate with local law enforcement. A person is arrested on state charges (drunk driving, domestic abuse, or sex assault, for example) and then booked into the county jail. In Wisconsin, like most states, county jails are run by sheriffs.

If the criminal is an illegal alien, and ICE learns of the arrest, then the agency will send the sheriff an “immigration detainer,” also known as an “ICE hold.” These detainers ask the sheriff to hold the alien for up to 48 hours after release from the state charges so that ICE has time to arrange for pickup.

Some sheriffs formalize their relationship with ICE through something called a 287(g) agreement. This is a federal agreement whereby the jail automatically checks all names booked into the jail against the federal ICE database. When there is a hit, ICE sends a detainer, which is honored. In exchange, ICE gives the local agencies grants, equipment, training, and other benefits. There are 13 counties in Wisconsin with these agreements. But whether an agreement exists or not, nearly all Wisconsin counties cooperate with ICE and honor detainers (except for the aforementioned two cities).

ICE detainers are common in Wisconsin. According to one estimate, there were 1,065 holds issued to Wisconsin jails in the first five months of 2025. Ironically, Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers actually has a policy mandating that the state Department of Corrections comply with ICE holds. So as far as Gov. Evers is concerned, ICE detainers are just fine for those illegal immigrants held in state prisons.

The New Case

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided to hear a new case, Voces de la Frontera v. Gerber. The question presented is whether Wisconsin sheriffs have the power under Wisconsin state law to honor immigration detainers.

The petitioners’ main argument is that sheriffs do not have the power to arrest for civil infractions, and because immigration detainers are essentially a civil process, these detentions exceed the powers of sheriffs.

The argument is not as straightforward as the petitioners would like. First, ICE detainers come with administrative arrest warrants. And so a sheriff honoring a detainer is agreeing to exercise delegated federal power and hold that alien pursuant to federal law. This is simply a federal-state agreement, which is a common feature of modern law enforcement. In fact, Wisconsin sheriffs have independent legal authority under state law to enter into cooperative agreements with federal agencies — they do it all the time. If the Wisconsin Supreme Court holds that sheriffs have no power to honor federal warrants, and as a consequence no power to enter into agreements with federal partners, then that holding would jeopardize many existing relationships between state and federal agencies (and the funding that comes with it).

Second, sheriffs have authority to hold individuals based on probable cause that a crime has been committed. Illegal aliens, by virtue of their unlawful presence in the United States, likely violated 8 U.S.C. § 1325. It is a crime to enter the United States without permission. An alien’s unlawful presence is probable cause that a crime has been committed. Additionally, under 8 U.S.C. § 1226, illegal aliens who violate state criminal laws are considered “criminal aliens” under federal law. And any alien in the United States who is undocumented has failed to register, which is a crime in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1302. ICE, in fact, could likely clear up much of this legal argument by simply telling sheriffs that probable cause exists that the alien violated federal criminal law.

Leftist Tactic in Other States

The fact that the court granted this request is a sign that it wants to grant the relief requested by petitioners. They could have allowed this case to percolate in the lower court, ironing out all the complicated factual issues presented by the federal policy. But they didn’t. The Wisconsin Supreme Court is in the firm grip of a 4-3 liberal majority.

This lawsuit is the latest part of a nationwide strategy. Similar lawsuits have been filed and succeeded elsewhere, such as Minnesota, New York, Montana, Massachusetts, and Colorado. These lawsuits used the same tactic: getting a left-leaning court to declare that state law prohibits state cooperation with ICE detainers.

Impending Court Election

Briefing will be completed over the next 60 days with an argument likely in February or March. The timing is interesting, especially given an impending Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April 2026. Injecting illegal immigration into that race could certainly shake things up, especially with approximately 69,000 illegal immigrants in Wisconsin and splashy stories of their criminal activity.

Another wild card is the Trump administration. It has not intervened in any of the previous state cases, but could here. The case raises the issue of federal preemption, which the Wisconsin Supreme Court tacitly acknowledges with their reference to 287(g) agreements in the briefing order. Are sheriffs exercising delegated federal power? Are aliens in county jails pursuant to a detainer actually in federal custody? If either of these questions’ answers is “yes,” then this raises a preemption issue that could provide an avenue for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. An intervening Trump administration would raise the chances that the U.S. Supreme Court would step in and take the case.

But if this case just plods along as expected, then the likely result is a ruling that local officials cannot honor ICE holds, thereby obstructing ICE immigration enforcement in Wisconsin. The unintended consequences may include more ICE agents in Wisconsin, taking people off the street outside of jails and courtrooms. That’s a scene no one wants, but it may be inevitable if the court declares Wisconsin a sanctuary state.