By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, BRONX, NY, Tues. July 4, 2017: A 58-year-old Dominican immigrant was recently grabbed by Deportation Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) at a Bronx Court House.
ICE agents were waiting for Joselin Medina recently following his arraignment on misdemeanor charges at the Bronx Criminal Court, New York after New York City officials declined to honor the agency’s detainer and federal felony warrant.
New York has declared itself a sanctuary city.
But ICE grabbed Medina pursuant to a federal arrest warrant for illegal reentry in the US after removal subsequent to the commission and conviction for an aggravated felony offense.
He was processed, transported to federal court for an appearance before a judge and is now in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service with charges pending.
ICE says Medina has a criminal history in the U.S. which includes a felony conviction of criminal sale of a controlled substance and the current felony charge of illegal re-entry.
Medina originally entered the United States at an unknown date and location. On Sept. 18, 1995, Medina adjusted his status to that of a Lawful Permanent Resident through marriage. On April 24, 2001 Medina applied for admission to enter the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident through San Juan International Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Due to his Aug. 1, 2000 felony conviction of the crime of attempted criminal sale of control substance in which he was given a conditional discharge, Medina was released on his own recognizance pending a report date for deferred inspection and failed to report for his scheduled deferred inspection appointment.
On July 18, 2002, Medina was encountered at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Queens, New York, and served with a Notice to Appear in front of an immigration judge. Medina was then detained at the Middlesex County Jail, New Brunswick, New Jersey. On Aug. 20, 2002, Medina was ordered removed to the Dominican Republic by an Immigration Judge in Newark New Jersey. Medina was removed from the United States to the Dominican Republic in October 2002. Medina subsequently illegally re-entered the United States at an unknown place and date.
“Even a federal criminal warrant issued by a United States Magistrate is not enough for the city of New York to turn over a convicted felon to ICE. If only New York had cooperated with ICE instead of releasing Medina to the street, there would have been no need to go to a courthouse to locate and arrest him,” Thomas R. Decker, field office director for ERO New York complained recently. “It is unfathomable that New York would create such a public safety risk for the sake of political expediency.”
