U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrest of a Guatemalan illegal immigrant in Maryland who is facing deadly weapons charges.
ICE said 20-year-old Gener Pop-Cuz was arrested on Feb. 1 in Maryland’s Prince George’s County after corrections officials there declined to honor an immigration detainer.
“The corrections department released Pop into the lobby, instead of safely handing him over to the ICE deportation officer who was waiting for the exchange, and he resisted arrest during the initial encounter. However, Pop was eventually subdued and placed in handcuffs as corrections officers failed to intervene,” ICE said in a statement.
Pop was first stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol near Texas’ Rio Grande Valley in November 2017 and was served a notice to appear in court, according to immigration officials.
MEXICO SAYS IT WILL NOT ALLOW US TO SEND MEXICAN MIGRANTS TO GUANTANAMO BAY
Five years later, an immigration judge ordered Pop to be removed to Guatemala after he failed to show up for the hearing, they added.
“The Laurel Police Department arrested and charged Pop on Feb. 1 with possession of a loaded handgun, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm, and trespassing on private property,” ICE said. “He was released on bond by the Prince George’s County Commissioner’s Office on the same date. ICE then lodged an immigration detainer on Pop with the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections in Upper Marlboro.”
SANCTUARY CITIES THAT REFUSE ICE REMOVAL REQUESTS COULD BE PUNISHED UNDER STATE, FEDERAL LEGISLATION
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston said the incident shows that “Nobody wins when jurisdictions fail to transfer custody of violent offenders.”
“Cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE is critical to ensuring the safety of our officers, the public, and even the criminal aliens in custody,” he added. “I strongly encourage our local jurisdictions to evaluate their policies and look forward to the day when we can put aside politics and do what’s best for the people of Maryland.”
Read the full article here
