By Chris Nesi – Published Dec. 1, 2025, 3:02 p.m. ET – New York Post

New York state has released nearly 7,000 known illegal migrant criminals without notifying ICE since President Trump took office — including killers, sexual predators and a maniac booted from the US eight times who attacked an Ithaca cop with a machete, The Post has learned.

The rap sheets behind the rogue’s gallery include 29 homicides, thousands of assaults and hundreds of burglaries, robberies, drug offenses, weapons offenses and sexual predatory offenses, the Department of Homeland Security revealed Monday.

All of them were protected by state and local sanctuary laws that dramatically restrict how local authorities can communicate with ICE, DHS says. 

“Virtually all Americans agree that people like this should be swiftly removed from the United States when they leave New York’s custody and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law-abiding citizens,” a demand letter penned by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent to the AG’s office Monday.

Accused DC pipe-bomber’s face unmasked for first time after arrest in resurfaced photo

Set loose on the streets

Some migrant criminals, fortunately, have already been picked up by immigration officers after they were cut loose thanks to sanctuary laws.

Among them are Vyacheslav Danilovich Kim — who was busted for traveling to have sex with a girl whom he believed was 13 years old.

The sicko was convicted in Albany County and sentenced to time served. He was released on probation in February 2023 after probation officers refused to help ICE detain him, according to DHS. He has since been detained and deported.

Steven Daniel Henriquez Galicia, 25, a Dominican national who entered the US illegally in 2016, was arrested in the Bronx last year for attempted murder after he allegedly opened fire outside an apartment building. A judge let him go on cashless bail — despite the Bronx District Attorney asking for hold him on $300,000 bond. He was nabbed by ICE on Sept. 20. 

Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, 21, a Crips gang member and Honduran national with a prior assault conviction, was busted Aug. 19 for criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance. Despite an ICE detainer lodged against him, he was also released on cashless bail. ICE picked him up on Sept. 11 in the Bronx.

Federal immigration authorities had to intervene and rearrest multiple felons with charges ranging from rape and attempted murder to attacking a police officer with a machete. Time and again, they were sprung from the custody of local authorities, who refused to honor ICE detainers and federal warrants.

Jesus Romero Hernandez

Hernandez, 27, a Mexican national who was removed from the US six times between July and September 2016, was cut loose by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in January after serving 179 days in jail for attacking an Ithaca police officer with a machete. He was released despite a signed federal immigration detainer and warrant that  DHS says the local sheriff’s office refused to honor. ICE arrested him Nov. 5 and removed him from the country for an eighth time.

Vyacheslav Danilovich Kim

Kim, 24, a resident of Uzbekistan, was arrested by New York State Police for charges including use of a child under 17 years of age in a sexual performance, rape in the second degree and patronizing a person less than 15 years of age for prostitution in the second degree. In February 2013, Kim was convicted and sentenced to time served and five years’ probation. Albany County and New York Probation refused to assist ICE in locating or arresting him. The agency busted and later deported him in September 2024 as he was leaving an appointment with his probation officer.

Steven Daniel Henriquez Galicia

Galicia, 25, a Dominican national who entered the US illegally in 2016, was arrested in The Bronx last year for attempted murder, attempted assault, reckless endangerment and criminal weapons possession but was turned loose despite an ICE detainer against him. During an altercation in the lobby of a residential building, he pulled a gun and fired at least one shot in the direction of a man and woman, who cops said had to duck and cover to avoid being hit. He was taken into ICE custody on Sept. 20 in The Bronx, where he remains pending the outcome of immigration proceedings. His next court date is Jan. 27, 2026.

Jose David Hernandez Hernandez

Hernandez, 30, a Honduran national, entered the US illegally at an unknown time and place and was arrested by cops on charges of rape, strangulation and assault on Sept. 25, only to be set free despite an ICE detainer ordering he be turned over to their custody. On Oct. 6, he was busted by ICE in The Bronx and is currently awaiting deportation.

Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez

Crips gang member Martinez, 21, who has an assault conviction under his belt, was picked up for multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and a controlled substance. Police said they spotted him leaning through the window of a double-parked Infiniti and found he was packing a loaded .380 Ruger pistol. Once again, despite having an ICE detainer lodged against him, he was let loose to roam the streets in August until ICE arrested him on Sept. 11 in The Bronx. He’s still in federal custody awaiting immigration proceedings and is next set to appear in court on Dec. 15.

Hand them over, ICE says

ICE is now demanding that New York Attorney General Letitia James hand over some 7,100 illegal migrant thugs who are locked up in New York’s jails and prisons so they can be deported, according to a letter sent to the state’s embattled top lawyer Monday.

The feds say they want to ensure the convicts never walk free in New York. 

“These are people who are not only in the country illegally, but who have committed additional crimes, including heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others,” Lyons wrote.

Currently, 7,113 aliens are locked up in New York with active detainers — and ICE is demanding that New York state turn them over. They are responsible for a combined 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drug offenses, 152 weapons offenses and 260 sexual predatory offenses.

Shielded by sanctuary laws

The letter obtained by The Post points to a staggering 6,947 illegal aliens with active ICE detainers who were released back onto New York streets since Jan. 20, many after local jurisdictions refused to honor federal warrants.

New York’s sanctuary laws tie the hands of law enforcement from cooperating with immigration agents, releasing crime suspects and even convicted child molesters back into the community — instead of shunting them home.

A 2017 executive order signed by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo prohibits law enforcement officers from using “resources, equipment, or personnel” for helping feds enforce immigration laws.

However, at a 2025 testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Gov. Kathy Hochul clarified that the state “can and will” work with federal immigration officials under certain circumstances.

These include instances in which there’s an active criminal investigation, an individual has been convicted of a New York State crime, are suspected of an immigration crime or of participating in gang activity or international drug cartels.

New York City, however, has more robust sanctuary policies prohibiting the NYPD and Department of Correction from honoring ICE detainer requests unless the individual in question has been convicted of violent crimes, appears on the federal terror watch list or when immigration officials have a judicial warrant.

Since Hochul took office in 2021, the New York Department of Correction and Community Supervision has handed over 1,300 incarcerated migrants to ICE after their local sentences were completed, according to the governor’s office.

The letter from DHS follows a similar missive sent to James on Sept. 12, to which she replied deferring the inquiry to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office on the grounds that detainer requests are handled differently depending on local laws and policies, creating a “range of lawful practices we cannot address in our capacity as the Attorney General.”

The agency included a supplemental with its letter highlighting a dozen migrants with heinous criminal histories who were released from custody in New York in recent months rather than being turned over to immigration authorities.

Machete madman deported eight times

Also caught and released by New York authorities was career criminal migrant Alexander Moreno Montoya, who has charges including assaulting a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon and cocaine possession.

Although he was under an ICE detainer, he was released from Rikers Island on March 17, only to be caught by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York City on July 7 and removed from the US.

One of the most egregious cases highlighted by DHS is Jesus Romero Hernandez, 27, a Mexican national who despite being removed from the US on seven previous occasions was turned loose from Tomkins County Jail in January after serving a 179-day sentence for viciously attacking an Ithaca police officer with a machete.

The Tomkins County Sheriff’s Office had refused to honor a federal arrest warrant and released him. ICE managed to round him up on Nov. 5 and bounced him from the country for an eighth time.

“Please confirm whether the State of New York plans to honor detainers on these aliens or whether each of these barbarians will someday walk the streets of New York again,” the letter to James pointedly concludes.

“Attorney General James and her fellow New York Sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and sexual predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to The Post.

“We are calling on Letitia James to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 7,000 criminal illegal aliens in New York’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”

Additional reporting by Amanda Woods and Vaughn Golden