The release of a twice-deported rapist in Virginia is putting renewed focus on the dangers posed by Democrat-led sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Guatemala national David Cabrera was collared by ICE last week after being set free by sanctuary-aligned jurisdiction Arlington County, who refused to honor a federal detainer and released him without notifying ICE.
In a video obtained by Fox News, Cabrera is seen roaming a local street before ICE agents initiate his arrest.
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Cabrera entered the U.S. illegally in 2014 and was convicted of felony rape in 2015. He was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, although a portion of it was suspended.
He was released into ICE custody in 2017 and subsequently deported to Guatemala, but re-entered the U.S. again at an unknown time and date. He was then arrested again for a probation violation and deported again in 2020, only to re-enter again.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons blasted the release, telling Fox News it puts agents and the public at risk.
"This is the whole reason why sanctuary jurisdictions do not keep America safe," Lyons said. "It lets criminals back on the street to reoffend again. If Arlington had cooperated, we could have arrested him in a secure facility - instead, our agents had to track him down in the community, where they could have encountered others."
Arlington's 2022 trust policy allows police to comply with state and federal law - but restricts voluntary detainer holds and information-sharing with ICE unless required by law.
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In May, the county board removed a provision which had allowed limited police cooperation with ICE, including in cases involving terrorism, gangs, or felony arrests). Since then, local police cannot proactively contact ICE in such cases, though they must comply with legal orders.
The Cabrera underlines the dangers posed to the public when jurisdictions do not comply with federal law enforcement, Lyons said.
Cabrera was arrested on June 4 for a probation violation and released from Arlington County Adult Detention Center on July 11 despite an active ICE detainer.
"You have an individual that is the worst of the worst, someone convicted of rape, and we had the opportunity to deport him. We did deport him… and they don't want to turn that individual over the right way," Lyons said.
"Here you have an aggravated felon that's been deported multiple times… and Arlington County is releasing him back into the community. To reoffend again. It's just not right and it doesn't keep the public safe."
Lyons said that Arlington County's actions put agents at risk. This comes at a time when agents are being doxxed, and attacks on them have skyrocketed by 830% since January.
"We wouldn't have to send ICE agents into the community, where they run the chance to run into someone else that we might arrest," Lyons said. "We would much rather arrest someone in a secure, safe environment. It's safer for my officers and agents… It is safer for that individual we're arresting, but it's safer for the community as well."
Anti-ICE activists across the U.S. have been protesting immigration enforcement, sometimes harassing ICE agents and demanding their badge numbers and the removal of their masks.
At times, the protesters have turned violent.
ICE agents were attacked and had rocks thrown at their moving vehicles during a raid on a marijuana farm last week, while ICE agents have also come under attack outside an ICE detention facility in Portland. Law enforcement vehicles were also pelted with rocks during deportation-linked rioting in Los Angeles.
DHS accused Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., of showing a violent mob an ICE employee's business card, prompting a mob to attack him. The official was struck by a rock and sent to the emergency room, where he received multiple stitches, DHS said.
