5 days ago
12
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
The Justice Department called for an investigation of a sheriff in Ithaca, N.Y., who had released an undocumented man who was later arrested by federal agents.
Jan. 30, 2025
The acting U.S. deputy attorney general called on Thursday for an investigation of an upstate New York sheriff who had released an undocumented immigrant from custody — in an apparent escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against sanctuary cities.
Emil Bove III, who was named acting deputy attorney general last week, said that the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York was looking into the failure of Sheriff Derek R. Osborne of Tompkins County to honor a federal arrest warrant. It was for the arrest of Jesus Romero-Hernandez, 27, a Mexican citizen who Mr. Bove said was released from jail in Ithaca, N.Y., on Tuesday after having pleaded guilty to assault in the third degree.
“I applaud the U.S. attorney’s commitment to investigate these circumstances for potential prosecution,” Mr. Bove said in a news release.
The episode in Ithaca, 230 miles north of New York City, could present an early test of the Trump administration’s threat to take on so-called sanctuary city policies, which include various measures to bar local officials from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE has stepped up immigration raids since Mr. Trump took office, focusing on immigrants with criminal records. In New York City on Tuesday, 39 people were arrested in a show of force, with ICE agents teaming with other federal agencies.
The administration created a “Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group” and is threatening to bring civil lawsuits against jurisdictions that stand in the federal government’s way on immigration enforcement.
