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SANCTUARY CALAMITY: DHS and ICE Urgently Call on Gavin Newsom and Sanctuary California to Not Release 33,179 Criminal Illegal Aliens Including Murderers, Sex Offenders, and Drug Traffickers from Jails Back into California Communities
There are currently 33,179 aliens in California’s custody with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta calling on him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California’s custody including murderers, sex offenders, and drug traffickers.
California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 dangerous drugs offenses, 379 weapons offenses, and 234 sexual predatory offenses.
There are currently 33,179 aliens in the custody of a California jurisdiction with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.
“Governor Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are calling on Governor Newsom and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans. If we work together, we can make America safe again. 7 of the 10 safest cities in the U.S. cooperate with ICE law enforcement.”
Some of the public safety threats released directly from California jails into American communities include:
Hector Grijalba-Sernas, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico arrested for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14-years-old. On September 24, 2024, ICE lodged an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On May 8, 2025, ICE arrested Grijalba and referred him for prosecution. He is currently in the custody of a federal partner with an active immigrationdetainer lodged against him.
Xujin An, a criminal illegal alien from China arrested for sexual penetration with force and sexual battery in Westminster, CA. On November 9, 2024, ICE lodged an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On April 15, 2025, ICE arrested An and he remains in custody pending judicial proceedings.
Angel Navarro Camarillo, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico and a member of the notorious La Familia street gang, arrested for a sex offender violation. On November 29, 2024, Navarro Camarillo was arrested by Fullerton Police Department. An immigration detainer was lodged, andthe detainer was not honored and he was released. On July 14, 2025, ICE arrested Navarro Camarillo and removed him from the United States.
Vicente Centeno-Lugo, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, has a history of criminal convictions spanning the past 28 years, including hit–and–run property damage, willful cruelty to a child, possession of controlled substance, evasion of peace officer, obstruction of public officer, taking vehicle without consent, and owning prohibited ammunition. Santa Clara County Jail refused to recognize multiple ICE immigration detainers in recent years and released Centeno back into the same communities he was terrorizing.
Carmelo Corado Hurtado, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was convicted of first-degree murder, driving under the influence and second-degree robbery. ICE lodged an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On February 26, 2025, ICE arrested Corado Hurtado and removed him from the United States.
Raphael Arturovich Gevorgyan, a criminal illegal alien from Armenia and member of the notorious Armenian Power gang, convicted of voluntary manslaughter, assault with deadly weapon, tampering with vehicle, receiving stolen property, and grand theft. On November 11, 2025, Gevorgyan was arrested by Burbank Police Department for obstructing police. ICE lodged an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On November 12, 2025, ICE arrested Gevorgyan where he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
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Victor Hernandez-Jiron, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, arrested for attempted murder, inflicting corporal injury on spouse, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment, and threats to commit a crime resulting in death or great bodily injury. ICE issued an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On November 17, 2025, ICE officers apprehended Hernandez-Jiron where he remains in ICE custodypending judicial proceedings.
Monica Gonzalez-Riedel, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, arrested for willful cruelty to child and assault with deadly weapon using force causing possible great bodily injury. On March 1, 2025, ICE encountered Gonzalez after she was booked into the San Diego Sheriff’s Office. ICE lodged an immigration detainer, which was rejected by local police, who then released Gonzalez back into the community.
Sara Hassanzadeh, a criminal illegal alien from Iran, arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery on an ex-spouse. On September 8, 2025, Hassanzadeh was booked into the San Diego Sheriff’s Office. ICE lodged an immigration detainer, which local authorities rejected and released Hassanzadeh back into the community.
Elvin Joel Centeno Verde, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras convicted of obstruction of police and arrested multiple times within the past five years for drug trafficking and drug sales. ICE lodged an immigration detainer that was not honored and he was released. On October 27, 2025, ICE apprehended Centeno and removed him from the United States.
You can read the full text of ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons’ letter below:
February 4, 2026
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 11000
San Francisco, CA 94102-7004
Dear Attorney General Bonta:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in U.S. v. Lucas, 499 F .3d 769 (2007), supports the use of administrative warrants to arrest aliens with final orders of removal in their place of residence. Lucas held that the appellant’s Fourth Amendment rights were not violated by the Director of Correctional Services use of an administrative warrant. Id. at 776-79. The court distinguished the case from those requiring a neutral magistrate to determine probable cause, noting that the inmate had already been convicted and had fled from custody. Id. at 776. The court identified the applicable standard as being ”reasonableness.” Id. at 777. It noted that “[w]hatever expectation of privacy an escaped convict might have must be weighed against the strong interest the government has in bringing him back into custody.” Id. The court further stated that the convict’s “reasonable expectation of privacy was limited by his status as an escapee and the officers possessed both a valid administrative warrant and reasonable cause to believe [he] was in [the third party’s] apartment(.)” Id. at 779.
Like the convict’s expectation of privacy in Lucas, whatever expectation of privacy an alien subject to a final order of removal might have must be weighed against the strong interest the government has in enforcing the federal immigration laws. Cf. id. at 777. An alien subject to a final order of removal has a diminished reasonable expectation of privacy when federal officers arrive with a valid administrative warrant and reasonable cause to believe he or she is in a residence. Id. at 779; Alcarez-Garcia v. Ashcroft, 293 F .3d 1155, 1157 (9th Cir. 2002) (recognizing that residence is an ”inquiry … of objective fact”).
An administrative warrant of removal generally can only be issued after a final order of removal is entered at the end of removal proceedings by an immigration judge. See 8 C.F.R. § 241.2(a)(1) (providing that Form I-205, Warrant of Removal/Deportation, will be issued “based on the final administrative removal order in the alien’s case” (emphasis added)). An alien with a final order of removal generally has undergone removal proceedings in which an immigration judge, whose “responsibility [is] to function as a neutral, impartial arbiter,” Elias v. Gonzales, 490 F.3d 444, 451 (6th Cir. 2007); see, e.g., Abdulrahman v. Ashcroft, 330 F.3d 587,596 (3d Cir. 2003), has determined that such alien is removable from the United States. 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(a)(l), (c)(l)(A). In ordering the alien removed, the neutral immigration judge provided the alien with all the necessary protections guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Cf. Lucas, 499 F.3d at 776 (finding that a neutral and detached arbiter issuing a warrant was not necessary because “the administrative official responsible for the custody of prisoners issued a warrant to retake an inmate who had already been convicted of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt and had fled from his lawful custody”).
ICE officers may enter an alien’s residence with a final order of removal and an administrative warrant. No community serious about keeping its residents safe will tolerate a clear aberration of the law. Enclosed are examples of criminal aliens ICE removed from your streets. ICE and the American people once again demand California honor ICE detainers to take the worst of the worst off the streets and make America safe again.
Sincerely,
Todd M. Lyons
Senior Official Performing the Duties of Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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