COLUMBUS, Ohio — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has accused the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office of releasing 29 immigrants since November that the agency had filed detainer requests with.
According to a Thursday press release from ICE, the agency files detainers with individuals who have been “arrested on criminal charges and who ICE has probable cause to believe are removable aliens.”
That detainer asks other law enforcement agencies to alert ICE in advance of their release so that the agency can take them into custody.
ICE says Hajir Muhammud, a 59-year old national of Somalia, was arrested by local authorities on Dec. 27 for failing to register as a Tier 1 sex offender after he was convicted for crimes involving children. The federal agency says the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office released Muhammud and had declined to honor the ICE detainer.
Muhammud was arrested Jan. 6 by ICE. He is in custody pending removal proceedings.
In response, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office told 10TV on Saturday that they will not hold a detainee longer than what they are sentenced and will give enough notice as possible to ICE when a detainee will be released. However, they will not continue to hold them past that time.
The agency claims the sheriff’s office released other individuals who ICE has lodged detainers with. The individuals in question were originally from countries including Mexico and El Salvador and faced charges including domestic violence, DUI and other drug and felony firearm charges.
“When dangerous criminal aliens are released into the community, public safety is needlessly put at risk because of the individual’s propensity to re-offend,” said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Michigan and Ohio in a press release. “ICE remains committed to arresting and removing criminal aliens in the interest of public safety and national security, despite local decisions to not honor detainers and jeopardize the safety of its citizens.”
