Immigration enforcement agents tracked and arrested 225 illegal migrants in New York’s “sanctuary city” where Democratic politicians are protecting illegals in the huge cheap-labor workforce which supports the city’s elite finance sector.

A statement from U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated the six-day operation picked up 60 migrants who had been arrested and then released by the city’s police forces, despite federal requests to detain them for repatriation:

More than 60 individuals arrested during this operation were previously released from local law enforcement on an active detainer. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) places detainers on individuals who have been arrested on local criminal charges and who are suspected of being deportable … In years past, most of these individuals would have been turned over to ICE by local authorities upon their release from jail based on ICE detainers. Now that many sanctuary cities, including New York City, do not honor ICE detainers, these individuals, who often have significant criminal histories, are released onto the street, presenting a potential public safety threat.

ICE also reported:

Of those arrested, more than 180 were convicted criminals or had criminal charges pending, more than 80 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors.

DHS officials criticized the city’s politicians for endangering New Yorkers by shielding the migrants from deportation. “The fact is that a so-called ‘sanctuary city’ does not only provide refuge to those who are here against immigration law, but also provides protections for criminal aliens who prey on the people in their own communities by committing crimes at all levels,” said Thomas Decker, field office director for Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York.” He continued:

ICE is committed to enforcing the immigration laws set forth by Congress with integrity, despite the push-back and rhetoric within the city they serve.

The DHS statement said the arrestees included:

In East Elmhurst, a 56 year-old Haitian national, who has convictions of Manslaughter 2nd Degree, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th degree, and sentenced to 4-12 years in prison;

In Brentwood, a 35 year-old, Guatemalan national, previously removed from the U.S. on five separate occasions, who has convictions of DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor vehicle, and Illegal Reentry after Removal;

In Brooklyn, a 39 year-old Jamaican national, and registered sexual offender, who has convictions of Criminal Possession of a Loaded Firearm 3rd degree (2 counts), and Attempted Rape 1st degree. The victim, a child under the age of 13;

In Manhattan, a 38 year-old Romanian national, and lifetime registered sexual offender, who has convictions of Possessing Sexual Performance by a Child, and sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision;

In Manhattan, a 36 year-old Dominican national, wanted in his home country for charges of Homicide, Administrative Corruption, and Accepting Bribes;

In Brooklyn, a 39 year-old Ghanaian national, and registered sexual offender, who has convictions of Sexual Abuse 3rd degree and Attempted Forcible Touching in 2012, and again of Sexual Abuse 3rd degree and Attempted Forcible Touching in 2017;

In Brooklyn, a 31 year-old Mexican national, who has convictions of Rape 2nd (Intercourse with person less than 15 years old), and Tampering with Witness;

In Hempstead, a 40 year-old previously removed Salvadoran national, who has convictions of Assault, Burglary of a Vehicle, Attempted Forcible Touching, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Driving Without a License, DUI, Failure to Identify as a Fugitive from Justice, and Sexual Abuse;

In the Bronx, a 58 year-old, twice removed Trinidadian national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has convictions of Conspiracy to Produce Identification Documents, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Forgery, Fraud, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, and Possession of Stolen Property, and False Statement on a U.S. Passport Application;

In Jamaica, a 57 year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions of Sexual Abuse 1st degree: Contact w/ person Less than 14 Years Old;

In Manhattan, a 38 year-old previously removed Dominican national, released from NYPD custody with an active detainer, who has convictions of Attempted Criminal Possession of Weapon, Criminal Possession Controlled Substance, Identity Theft, and Grand Larceny, and Stalking;

In the Bronx, a 33 year-old Dominican national, who has convictions of Criminal Possession of a Weapon – Loaded Firearm, Robbery 1st degree, Forcible Theft with a Deadly Weapon (2 counts), for which he was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 5 years of parole supervision;

In Brooklyn, a 32 year-old Ecuadorian national, and registered sexual offender, who has convictions of Rape 2nd degree, who was sentenced to 4 years in prison victim, a child under the age of 13;

City officials go to great lengths to shield the roughly 500,000 illegal migrants who lower the wages paid to the service-class workforce which supports the city’s wealthy professionals. Breitbart News reported in February:

New York’s police department, politicians, and judges are helping the city’s illegal immigrant workforce evade repatriation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, according to an article in the New York Times. The campaign, which protects the business groups’ supply of cheap, illegal-immigrant labor, was described by the newspaper on February 27: “ICE issued 1,526 detainer requests to the New York Police Department in the 2017 fiscal year, up from 80 in 2016. The Police Department complied with none of them.” … Those ICE [response] tactics have got results. In July, ICE picked up 100 illegals, for example. Overall, ICE arrested 2,976 city arrests in 2017, up from 1,762 in 2016. The arrests included 899 people without criminal convictions on their record, up from only 250 people without criminal convictions on their record in 2016.

Democrats in Maryland, Chicago, California and other states are trying to defy federal authority over immigration declaring themselves to be “sanctuaries” for migrants. Federal officials are pushing back, but Democrats are being aided by progressive lower-court judges.