ICE arrests alleged illegal migrant in Ithaca

ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- An alleged illegal immigrant was arrested by homeland security agents in Ithaca Thursday, according to the United States Attorney's Office in the Northern District of New York.
Jesus Romero-Hernandez, a 27-year-old Mexican citizen, was charged on Jan. 8 for allegedly entering the United States illegally after previously being kicked out of the country.
Romero-Hernandez was in custody of the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office on assault charges when Immigration Customs and Enforcement provided the Sheriff's Office with a copy of his federal arrest warrant.
The assault charges were resolved after Romero-Hernandez pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to time served. He was then released from the custody of the Sheriff's Office on Jan. 28.
The U.S. Attorney's Office accuses the Sheriff of refusing to honor ICE's arrest warrant because they released Romero-Hernandez and did not hold him to allow federal agents to arrest him.
“The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in Ithaca, NY, a self-described sanctuary city, appears to have failed to honor a valid federal arrest warrant for a criminal alien with an assault conviction,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “Despite the warrant, a defendant with no legal status and a history of violence was released into the community."
In a statement sent to WENY News after the publishing of this article, Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office contends that they acted consistently with state and local law in their decision to release Romero-Hernandez from custody.
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement knew exactly when the individual in question was going to be released and had every opportunity to come to the Tompkins County jail to obtain the individual in question without any need for a pursuit or other incident," the statement reads.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Bove also accused the Sheriff's Office of risking the safety of ICE officers by releasing him. The Tompkins County Sheriff's Office and Tompkins County called the claim "false and offensive" and that "the safety of all law enforcement is our top priority".
Despite Romero-Hernandez's release from custody, Immigration Customs and Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him Thursday in Ithaca.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says they are looking into the circumstances surrounding his release, calling Romero-Hernandez a "violent illegal alien."
The Tompkins County government initially responded to the raid earlier Thursday, saying they continue to follow a resolution passed in 2017 that barred county officers and others from participating in the enforcement of federal immigration law:
The County is aware of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity at the Human Services Building today, January 30, 2025, and is fully investigating the circumstances. The individual in question was recently released from the Tompkins County jail. The public should be assured that the County continues to adhere to its long-standing policies concerning interaction with federal immigration authorities.
The City of Ithaca said it was aware of the federal law enforcement activity in the city today, and issued the following statement to WENY News:
The Ithaca Police Department adhered to all relevant City policies, including Ithaca's Sanctuary City policy (Article VI of Chapter 215 of the Ithaca City Code), in consultation with the City Attorney and City Manager's office. In accordance with City law, IPD officers did not participate in any immigration enforcement activities.
This story was updated to include a statement sent to WENY News after publishing from Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office disputing some of the claims made in the press release distributed by the United States Attorney's Office in the Northern District of New York.