In Prince George's County, a large population of illegal aliens from central America, has bred criminal gang violence that threatens the peace and public safety of all citizens. The problem is made worse by the policy of the Prince George’s County government to shield criminal illegal aliens in their custody from the routine processing of these criminals by federal immigration agents (ICE). The shielding occurs under the county’s “sanctuary” policy that involves local police refusing to honor an ICE "detainer" to hold criminal illegal aliens in their custody to turn over to ICE for federal deportation procedures. Instead, the Prince George's County releases such persons back into the community, which at times results in further crime and violence to the law-abiding general population. As reported in national news, this sanctuary policy in the county has recently resulted in a brutal murder of a 14-year old girl in Riverdale. This came about when two illegal alien MS-13 gang members, released from detention after refusal to honor an ICE detainer, were charged with this murder that occurred in the local community. Why does the Prince George’s County refuse to honor such immigration holds?
Prince George’s corrections director Mary Lou McDonaugh said concerning this matter that they ignored the ICE detainer when they were arrested and held before for criminal gang activity because of the guidance from the attorney general which says to hold someone on a civil detainer may violate his constitutional right. What they need is a criminal warrant. She said, “It’s basically a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution to hold someone without due process and a warrant.” However, other jurisdictions don’t accept this guidance, choosing instead to honor ICE detainers, and even actively cooperation with ICE in an affirmative manner to assure greater public safety for their citizens.
On behalf of "PG Citizens", I have therefore written to the Prince George's County executive, Angela Alsobrooks to question this policy of refusing to honor ICE detainers to allow processing for illegal status under federal immigration laws. In this connection, the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit which resulted in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) releasing records regarding law enforcement agencies that failed to honor ICE detainer requests. Among these records over a 27-month period, ending on December 31, 2017, it was found that the Prince George’s Detention Center refused to honor over 100 immigration holds, of which 86 were classified by ICE as threat level 1 and 2 offenses. These included, but were not limited to, homicide, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, drugs, burglary, and fraud.
The IRLI is now seeking information from ICE to show how many illegal aliens charged with serious felonies were released from jail and later charged with additional crimes. [Brian Lonergan, Immigration Reform Law Institute, 25 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 335, Washington, DC 20001, Tel: (202) 232-5590 www.irli.org]
I believe this situation highlights the grave danger to public safety from the county's reckless and irresponsible failure to honor such ICE detainer requests, especially as related to enforcement of Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324(a) whose Subsection 1324(a)(1)(i)-(v) prohibits concealing or harboring unauthorized aliens, and engaging in a conspiracy or aiding and abetting such acts.
In June, I therefore wrote to county executive Angela Alsobrooks, requesting information about the number and types of detainers refused in Prince George's County since January 1, 2018, and the status of further criminal charges made against those illegal aliens who were later released back into the community. Hopefully, the records of this Public Information request will bring greater public awareness to this matter, and help change this county’s policy to stop this unnecessary threat to public peace and safety by shielding criminal illegal aliens from the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
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