An undocumented immigrant, convicted of killing two children, was released from prison after serving his sentence by the sanctuary state of Connecticut instead of being handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation.
That same month, ICE agents issued a detainer for Gonzalez-Arcinega, requesting custody of him instead of releasing him from police custody.
Gonzalez-Arcinega was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of probation.
In September 2014, ICE agents served Gonzalez-Arcinega with a Notice to Appear (NTA) before a federal immigration judge, and on May 14, 2015, a judge ordered Gonzalez-Arcinega deported from the United States.
Despite the deportation order and detainer, the Connecticut Department of Corrections released Gonzalez-Arcinega from prison on April 2 without notifying ICE agents of the release.
ICE agents, on May 1, arrested Gonzalez-Arcinega in Meriden. He remains in ICE custody pending deportation to Mexico.
“Israel Gonzalez was convicted of driving under the influence and killing two Connecticut children,” ICE official Todd Lyons said in a statement. “His actions shattered a family. We cannot allow unlawfully present convicted felons to victimize the residents of our communities.”
