Overview
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez after his March 2 arrest in Ocean County on charges including sexual assault of a victim aged 13 to 15, criminal sexual contact, and assault by force or coercion.
- Homeland Security officials publicly pressed New Jersey leaders to keep Gonzalez in custody, warning that state sanctuary policies could block his transfer to federal authorities.
- DHS says Gonzalez is a Mexican national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2001, was returned to Mexico, and later reentered at an unknown time.
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s Executive Order 12 restricts ICE activities on state property and created a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement.
- The Justice Department is suing New Jersey over the order, while DHS criticizes the state’s measures and cites steep rises in assaults and death threats against ICE officers.