A criminal illegal immigrant with a rap sheet going back more than 15 years was set free to walk the streets of New York City.
That is, until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stepped in, according to a Department of Homeland Security news release.
Mexican citizen Gerardo Miguel-Mora was arrested on Jan. 30 following two arrests in January, after which he was allowed to roam the city as he pleased.
DHS made a dozen calls to New York City officials, who did not heed the federal request to turn Miguel-Mora over to ICE.
Miguel-Mora’s initial date of illegal entry into the United States is not known. He was deported to Mexico on Sept. 14, 2012, but returned to the U.S. illegally at some later date.
These are the types of public safety threats New York Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani are releasing from their jails onto the streets.
Despite 12 SEPARATE phone calls confirming the existence of a criminal arrest warrant, New York sanctuary politicians refused to honor the… pic.twitter.com/TdExn120KP
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) February 2, 2026
“These are the types of public safety threats New York Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani are releasing from their jails onto the streets to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
“We need local law enforcement to cooperate with us to get these heinous criminals out of our neighborhoods. Seven of the 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. We are once again calling on Governor Hochul to commit to turning the more than 7,000 heinous criminals in New York’s custody over to ICE.”
In 2011, Miguel-Mora was charged with rape, strangulation, assault, forcible touching, burglary, and disorderly conduct. In 2012, he was sentenced to 42 months in prison, with 10 years of post-release supervision.
Although Miguel-Mora’s return date is uncertain, his New York City criminal record shows an April 2023 arrest for false personation and grand larceny.
Twice in 2024, he was arrested and released, once on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, and once on charges of larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
In March 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a criminal warrant for Miguel-Mora for returning to the U.S. and illegal reentry as an aggravated felon.
On Jan. 7, after an arrest for criminal possession of a controlled substance, and again on Jan. 28, after being charged with larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, ICE sought to have Miguel-Mora detained, but the NYPD let him go free.
The DHS release noted the scale of the refusal of New York authorities to detain criminal illegal aliens.
🚨 NEW: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul is ramming through her “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” to COMPLETELY BAN cooperation between local counties and ICE—turning New York into a full-blown sanctuary state on steroids!
New York Post exposes the target: 287(g) agreements (created under… pic.twitter.com/WFJUmRonOr
— The Dibster (@TheDibsterX) February 2, 2026
“Since January 20, New York’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 6,947 criminal illegal aliens. The crimes of these aliens include 29 homicides, 2,509 assaults, 199 burglaries, 305 robberies, 392 dangerous drugs offenses, 300 weapons offenses, and 207 sexual predatory offenses,” the release said.
“There are currently 7,113 aliens in the custody of a New York jurisdiction with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses.”
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