DHS Demands New York Honor ICE Detainer for 5-Year Convict Felix Jeronimo-Rojas

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 23

DHS pressed New York officials to keep Felix Jeronimo-Rojas in custody for ICE after the 44-year-old Mexican national received a five-year sentence for raping and robbing a dead man on a Manhattan subway.
The agency said ICE filed a detainer on April 30, 2025, and is urging Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to ensure he is not released when his prison term ends.
Prosecutors said Jeronimo-Rojas assaulted 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez on an R train near Whitehall Street on April 8, 2025, after Gonzalez had become unresponsive; he later pleaded guilty and also faces 15 years of supervised release.
DHS tied the case to its broader attack on sanctuary policies, saying New York released 6,947 immigrants convicted of crimes between Jan. 20 and Dec. 1 last year and arguing local limits on ICE cooperation endanger communities.
The department also said Jeronimo-Rojas entered the United States illegally five times, underscoring the federal-state clash over immigration enforcement that has become central to the administration's crackdown.