The White House condemned New York City’s sanctuary stance after an illegal immigrant bit off an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent’s finger.
“New York’s dangerous ‘sanctuary’ policies are directly responsible for the egregious and violent harm suffered by this courageous ICE officer,” White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told The Daily Caller Wednesday.
On Mar. 14, court papers revealed that Cristopher Santos Felix was charged with assault. The New York Post reported that Felix entered the U.S. in June 2015 on a visitor’s visa. Officers went to his home 11 days prior to arrest him for staying in the U.S., “’longer than his legal authorization permitted.’” The officers took off the handcuffs, allowing Felix to put on some clothing.
Felix, “became combative,” struggling with the officers in his bedroom. When an officer tried to restrain him, the suspect bit his ring finger off.
“Sources said Santos Felix has racked up a criminal history while in the US,” The Post wrote. “Including a prior conviction for driving while intoxicated and a Sept. 29, 2018 arrest by local authorities for assault charges.”
The Caller wrote that an ICE spokeswoman said they requested a detainer for Felix during his Sept. 2018 arrest so that he could be taken into federal custody. But New York City released Felix due to their sanctuary policies.
“Communities are safer when law enforcement works together, yet sanctuary city policies continue to hinder the coordination needed to keep dangerous criminals off our streets,” the spokeswoman said. “The officer’s injury was the direct, foreseeable and entirely avoidable result of New York’s criminal alien sanctuary policies. Proponents of sanctuary policies claim they make communities safer, but in many cases they are causing more harm than good.”
Felix isn’t the only immigrant criminal who was settling in New York. ICE arrested 118 illegal immigrants back in January through “Operation Cross Check.” 107 were convicted criminals or had pending charges.
“Many of those arrested had felony convictions for serious and/or violent offenses,” The Caller reported. “Including sex crimes, assault and weapons charges. Several had past convictions for multiple and/or significant misdemeanors, according to ICE.”
There are currently eight sanctuary states, according to the Center for Immigrations Studies.