A criminal illegal immigrant from Ecuador and Latin Kings gang member who was previously released by New York City has been arrested, according to the Trump administration on Monday.
Bryan David Tasiguano Leon was arrested on March 4 during a targeted enforcement operation in the city.
Tasiguano Leon was first arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on Feb. 14 on suspicion of assault on a first responder. He had prior arrests for assault and family neglect. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he was released back into the community despite an arrest detainer lodged against him.
He now remains in ICE custody and is subject to deportation proceedings.
Tasiguano Leon first entered the country illegally in November 2022 through the southern border.
“New York sanctuary politicians chose to release this Latin Kings gang member from jail back into New York City communities,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “This gang member was previously arrested for assault and family neglect. Not only was this illegal alien released by the Biden administration, but he was also released again by New York’s sanctuary politicians. Enough is enough. Sanctuary politicians must stop releasing criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes.”
The arrest has reignited the ongoing battle between the federal government and local jurisdictions over immigration policies.
New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an Executive Order that states the city is committed to protecting all New Yorkers “regardless of immigration status.” Mamdani’s order limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities and supports legal defenses for those facing deportation.DHS said the mayor’s action serves as a “shield” for violent criminal illegal aliens to reoffend and create more innocent victims.Additionally, New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s legislative proposal seeks to prohibit local law enforcement from entering into 287(g) agreements or partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in civil cases.
In proposing the legislation, Hochul accused the Trump administration of unleashing “unspeakable acts of violence against Americans under the guise of public safety.”
DHS pointed out that there are currently 7,113 aliens in custody with an active detainer across New York state. Their crimes include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses, according to DHS.
President Donald Trump, in his second term, has focused on cracking down on crime and illegal immigration nationwide, signing several executive orders to facilitate mass deportations, restrict asylum, and hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for refusing to enforce federal immigration laws.