WASHINGTON (TNND) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is warning that Illinois officials are putting the public at risk after releasing violent criminal undocumented immigrants despite active immigration detainers.
In a letter from Todd Lyons shared with Fox News, Lyons said Illinois has “tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens” in custody. These individuals, according to Lyons, have committed crimes ranging from murder and rape to child pornography and armed robbery.
Lyons said the immigrants “should be swiftly removed from the United States and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law-abiding citizens.”
According to data provided by ICE, Illinois has released 1,768 criminal aliens with active detainers since January 2025.
ICE also said there are another 4,015 undocumented immigrants with pending detainers that remain in state or local custody. This includes individuals linked to 51 homicides and more than 800 sexual-predatory offenses.
ICE provided a list of some detainers that were not honored, which will require federal officers to track down offenders after their release.
They include:
Victor Manuel Mendoza-Garcia, convicted of three counts of aggravated kidnappingJuan Morales Martinez, tied to a fatal vehicle crashAmilcar Waldo Gonzalez-Jimenez, convicted of two counts of criminal sexual assault.Comment with Bubbles
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Allegedly, ICE says local agencies failed to notify the agency before releasing the individuals in each case.