U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Anderson Nunez-Hernandez, a Dominican Republic citizen, on Feb. 21 as he exited the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Complex. Nunez-Hernandez, a convicted drug dealer, had completed a 23-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute. ICE officials were forced to apprehend him in public after the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Department refused to honor an immigration detainer placed on him.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane criticized the Sheriff’s Department’s decision, stating it undermines public safety and wastes taxpayer resources.
“Failing to honor immigration detainers forces ICE to deploy significant resources to track and arrest criminal aliens in unpredictable and high-risk public settings,” McShane said. “Instead of ensuring a secure transfer within a facility, the Sheriff’s Office released this individual onto the streets without coordinating with federal officials.”
McShane noted that ICE had issued an arrest warrant and provided copies to the facility when placing the detainer. He also emphasized that an ICE officer had participated in the original investigation that led to Nunez-Hernandez’s conviction.
“We urge Philadelphia officials to prioritize public safety over politics and work with ICE to protect communities and support national security,” he added.
Nunez-Hernandez was first arrested by U.S. Border Patrol on Oct. 30, 2021, near McAllen, Texas, after entering the country illegally. He was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and was paroled from ICE custody, with instructions to report for removal proceedings in Philadelphia on Dec. 1, 2021.
His arrest stemmed from a narcotics investigation led by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, which included an ICE officer. Authorities seized a large quantity of fentanyl during the operation.
Nunez-Hernandez was convicted on Feb. 21 in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
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