(The Center Square) — The U.S. Justice Department is targeting an upstate New York county sheriff’s office for possible prosecution after it allegedly released a Mexican migrant from jail even though a judge had issued a warrant for the man’s arrest.
In a fiery statement, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove condemned the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office for releasing an undocumented migrant from jail before federal immigration agents could take him into custody on a federal arrest warrant for illegal reentry into the country.
Bove blasted the sheriff’s office, which he called a “self-described sanctuary city,” saying it failed to detain a “criminal alien” with no legal status and a history of violence, who was released into the community before officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs tracked him down.
“Federal agents risked their safety and pursued the defendant in unsafe conditions,” he said in the statement. “The Justice Department will not tolerate actions that endanger law enforcement and make their jobs harder than they already are, as they work to protect us all.”
Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, was charged in a federal criminal complaint in January 2024 for illegally reentering the United States after a previous deportation, authorities said. ICE officials tried to apprehend Romero-Hernandez, who was then in the custody of the Tompkins Sheriff’s Office on assault charges, but authorities say the sheriff’s office let him go before federal officials could take him into custody.
But Tompkins County officials fired back at the DOJ’s claims about the man’s release, issuing a statement defending the sheriff’s office and saying federal agents were notified about his release but didn’t pick him up.
“There was no interference with federal immigration enforcement efforts,” county officials said. “DOJ’s assertion that the Tompkins County Sheriff did anything to put federal law enforcement officers in danger is false and offensive. The safety of all law enforcement is our top priority.”
The Justice Department’s scrutiny of the sheriff’s office comes as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to deport individuals who are living in the country illegally, particularly those with criminal records.
Two weeks ago, the Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials suspected of interfering with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, suggesting they could face criminal charges. Bove’s memo was viewed as a warning shot to so-called ‘sanctuary’ communities such as New York City, Chicago and Boston that restrict cooperation with immigration crackdowns.
“We will use every tool at our disposal to prevent sanctuary city policies from impeding and obstructing lawful federal operations designed to make America safe again and end the national crisis arising from four years of failed immigration policy,” he said.
