ICE Says Illinois Is Releasing Violent Noncitizens Despite Active Detainers, Raising Public Safety Concerns

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has warned that Illinois officials have been releasing convicted criminal noncitizens even when federal immigration detainers are active, a practice the agency says threatens public safety.

In a letter provided to Fox News Digital, Todd Lyons, ICE's senior official performing the duties of director, said Illinois is holding "tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens" in custody — individuals he says have been convicted of crimes ranging from murder and rape to child pornography and armed robbery. Lyons wrote that such offenders "should be swiftly removed from the United States … and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law‑abiding citizens."

ICE Data and Examples

According to data cited by ICE, Illinois has released 1,768 criminal noncitizens with active federal detainers since January 2025. The agency says those released were linked to offenses including homicide, assault, burglary, weapons offenses and sexual‑predatory crimes. ICE also reported another 4,015 criminal noncitizens with pending detainers remain in state or local custody; among that group the agency identified connections to 51 homicides and more than 800 sexual‑predatory offenses.

ICE provided specific cases it says were released without federal notification, forcing federal officers to locate suspects after their release. Named individuals in ICE's list include Victor Manuel Mendoza‑Garcia, convicted on three counts of aggravated kidnapping; Juan Morales Martinez, linked to a fatal vehicle crash; and Amilcar Waldo Gonzalez‑Jimenez, convicted on two counts of criminal sexual assault. ICE said local authorities released these individuals without alerting federal officials.

Other cases cited involve convictions for child abduction, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, attempted murder and aggravated kidnapping. ICE documents show some of those released were later re‑arrested or removed from the United States by federal authorities.

Agency Concern and Questions for Illinois

Lyons warned that Illinois' refusal to honor federal detainers "plainly jeopardizes public safety" and asked whether the state intends to change its approach or continue releasing violent offenders who could return to Illinois streets. The letter asks state and local officials to explain their policies and whether they will coordinate more closely with federal immigration authorities.

Note: Federal immigration detainers are requests from ICE asking local authorities to notify and, in some cases, hold individuals for transfer to federal custody. States and localities have differing policies regarding compliance with these requests.