Connecticut and Massachusetts round out the top five states, with New York just behind, in declining immigration detainers after “deportable aliens” were jailed, according to a new report.
The Center for Immigration Studies analyzed data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement between FY 2023 and Feb. 6. Massachusetts earned the fourth spot with 1,324 declined detainers, Connecticut with 1,153 and New York 873. Leading the pack were California, Illinois and Virginia.
The group ranked the top jails that declined detainers and insufficient notice, with Rikers Island (Queens, N.Y.) ranking 16 on the list with 236, followed by Bridgeport Correction Center (Bridgeport, Conn.) at 21 with 178; Essex County Jail (Middleton, Mass.) at 22 with 175; Queens Central Booking (Queens, N.Y.) at 23 with 174; and Danbury PD (Danbury, Conn.) at 30 with 138.
CIS also lists jails that released “aliens with homicide convictions and charges.” Those jails include the Bronx Central Booking (New York), Dracut Police Department (Massachusetts), Rikers Island (New York) and Suffolk County 3rd Precinct (New York). All four reportedly released one “alien” with homicide charges or convictions.
Connecticut is considered a “sanctuary state,” while Massachusetts and New York only have sanctuary cities or jurisdictions.
However, Massachusetts, mainly Boston, has become a target for the Trump administration in its immigration crackdown.
Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, warned Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox that ICE would be targeting the city. “I’m coming to Boston, I’m bringing hell with me,” Homan said during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The Center Square reported in late March that ICE had apprehended over 300 “illegal aliens,” including several accused of murder and drug trafficking, and according to recent ICE reports, the agency is showing no signs of slowing down.
The CIS reported that between Oct. 1, 2022, and Feb. 6, over 25,000 immigration detainers were declined by jails, and “in more than 1,400 instances the jails failed to give adequate notification to ICE to take custody of the aliens.” The report added that detainers had been “declined by jails in 46 states and three U.S. territories (the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Marianas.” CIS added that many of the states have laws that prohibit sanctuary policies.
