This is a horrible story that never had to happen:
A previously deported illegal immigrant from Honduras — who raped a child after Philadelphia authorities ignored an ICE detainer and released him — pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal reentry.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced Juan Ramon Vasquez, 45, faces up to two years in federal prison.
Vasquez was deported from the U.S. in 2009, but was found to be back in the country in March 2014 and taken into custody. After local criminal charges against him were dropped, Philadelphia officials did not comply with a detainer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Vasquez was released, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office.
After his release in 2015, Vasquez was rearrested and convicted for the rape of a child and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. He’s now serving 8 to 20 years in state prison.
“The facts of this case highlight the danger posed by the City of Philadelphia’s decision to disregard ICE detainers and release previously deported aliens from local custody,” U.S. Attorney William McSwain said in a statement.
This is why I fully support Trump’s war with Sanctuary cities. This little girl would have never been raped by this illegal dirtbag if Philadelphia had honored the ICE detainer request.
And to make matters worse, Philadelphia is now saying they will no longer share any information with ICE:
Last month, Philadelphia announced it will end a major information-sharing contract with ICE, bowing to intense pressure from activist groups and drawing immediate condemnation from federal officials.
The move means the city will not renew a decade-long arrangement to share real-time arrest information with ICE when the agreement expires at the end of August.
So more kids will get raped, people will get injured or murdered, and the blood will be on the hands of Philadelphia’s city officials. Ugh.
Here’s the DOJ release on Vasquez from today:
U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Juan Ramon Vasquez, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty today to illegal reentry after deportation. In May 2009, the defendant was deported from the United States. Thereafter, in March 2014, the defendant was found back in the United States by U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officers. At that time, Vasquez was in the custody of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
The City of Philadelphia thereafter chose not to comply with a detainer lodged by ICE for the defendant, who was instead released from custody by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. After his release, the defendant was rearrested and convicted for rape of a child and unlawful sexual contact with a minor. The defendant is currently serving a sentence of 8 to 20 years in state prison.
The defendant, having now pleaded guilty to the federal charge of illegal reentry after deportation, faces a maximum possible sentence of two years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2018, by the Honorable Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro.
“The facts of this case highlight the danger posed by the City of Philadelphia’s decision to disregard ICE detainers and release previously deported aliens from local custody,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Those of us in the law enforcement business should be doing everything in our power to protect vulnerable children from predators like Vasquez. Instead, this defendant received a free pass from the City of Philadelphia and its Department of Prisons, headed straight back into our community, and committed a heinous crime he never would have had the chance to commit had the City of Philadelphia complied with the ICE detainer.”
I’m sure the media will soon be covering this story, along with what US Attorney McSwain said. The story will blow up int a national story and the pressure will cause Philadelphia to renounce their sanctuary city policies.
Yeah, uh huh.