U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on April 6 that it lodged an arrest detainer with Long Island jail authorities to prevent the release of Ruben Guanipa Ramirez, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national indicted on attempted murder charges for a stabbing at Gilgo Beach.
The agency said this action is intended to ensure federal officers are notified before any potential release of the individual, who allegedly overstayed a B-2 tourist visa. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, multiple weapons including knives covered in blood, rope, and duct tape were recovered from the suspect’s vehicle following the incident. The department said this step aims to prevent the release of the individual into the community without federal involvement according to its official website.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security show that New York has released 6,947 criminal illegal aliens without honoring ICE detainers. This includes individuals with convictions for murder, sexual predators, and weapons offenses. The department said sanctuary policies in the state continue to undermine federal immigration enforcement efforts and place residents at risk from repeat offenders who remain in local custody before being freed back into communities according to data from DHS.
Sanctuary jurisdictions across the country have declined over 25,000 ICE detainers between fiscal year 2023 and early 2025. California accounted for more than half with over 13,000 declined detainers during that period. Such actions allow criminal illegal aliens to avoid federal custody and potentially commit additional crimes in communities nationwide as reported by the Center for Immigration Studies.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created in 2003 as part of the Department of Homeland Security following reorganization after September 11 attacks. The agency is responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws through criminal investigations and removal operations to enhance national security and public safety. ICE focuses on identifying and removing criminal illegal aliens from the United States to protect American communities from transnational threats according to ICE.
