
<p>In deep blue states like Massachusetts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are warning that Democrats are putting politics over public safety.</p>



<p>ICE recently criticized a Massachusetts court for releasing an illegal immigrant accused of raping a child, drawing attention to the liberal state&#8217;s sanctuary policies and garnishing criticism from a former member of President George W. Bush&#8217;s administration amid a wave of migrant crime concerns across the U.S.</p>



<p>Maynor Francisco Hernandez-Rodas, a 38-year-old Guatemalan national, was charged in June with aggravated rape of a child by force, but he was released after a local court &#8220;refused to honor&#8221; ICE&#8217;s detainer request, the agency said in a release earlier this month.</p>



<p>ICE said that Middlesex County &#8220;ignored ERO Boston’s immigration detainer and released Hernandez&#8221; on an unknown date before ICE took him into custody on Sept. 20.</p>



<p>&#8220;Maynor Francisco Hernandez-Rodas stands accused of horrific crimes against a Massachusetts child,&#8221; ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said in a statement. &#8220;He represents a significant danger to the children of our community that we will not tolerate. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing egregious noncitizen threats from our New England neighborhoods.&#8221;</p>



<p>Alfonso Aguilar, the Director of Hispanic Engagement at the American Principles Project and the former chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship in the George W. Bush administration, told Fox News that this incident highlights the state &#8220;putting ideology over what&#8217;s best for their citizens.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;It happens a lot that the individual goes for release, and then they go ahead and re-offend – which is preventable,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s following a radical ideology.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;Some argue that to build trust with the community, it&#8217;s better not to respect ICE detainers, but that&#8217;s ridiculous,&#8221; he said. &#8220;How do you build trust with the community when you&#8217;re releasing to the community a violent criminal? It makes absolutely no sense.&#8221;</p>



<p>Aguilar went on to say that the Bay State’s Democratic Governor, Maura Healey, “disregards the rule of law&#8221; and &#8220;shields illegal immigrants&#8221; over community members.</p>



<p>&#8220;This guy committed a ;very heinous crime, and he was charged with committing a heinous crime, and he should be detained and removed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And this idea that courts should not cooperate with federal authorities is ridiculous.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see how this is a victory for the rule of law, but Massachusetts is known for having a very aggressive advocacy community with strong links with Democratic politicians,&#8221; he said.</p>



<p>This battle of jurisdiction between the Massachusetts State Courts and federal immigration authorities all stems from the state’s Supreme Court&#8217;s 2017 ruling that stated that Massachusetts&#8217; courts don’t have the authority to &#8220;arrest and hold an individual solely on the basis of a Federal civil immigration detainer, beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from State custody.&#8221;</p>



<p>Aguiler said of that ruling in promising to protect migrants in the state, officials have simultaneously committed to defending criminals.</p>



<p>&#8220;By shielding to protect every single illegal immigrant, they made a commitment to also defend the most serious criminals,&#8221; Aguilar said. &#8220;With the arrival of so many migrants in the past three years, serious crime – murder, violent crime, gun violence – has all gone up.&#8221;</p>



<p>&#8220;So Massachusetts is basically telling their citizens, &#8216;We&#8217;re not going to protect you, you&#8217;re on your own,'&#8221; he said. &#8220;That is scary.&#8221;</p>

ICE Officials Say Dems are Putting “Politics” Over Public Safety
