An illegal alien with pending felony charges was released by New York City law enforcement as requests by federal immigration officials continue to be ignored due to prevailing sanctuary city policies.

Najee Antonio Clarke, a Jamaican national, entered the United States on a foreign B-2 visitor visa back in June 2010, according to officials with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Clarke was supposed to leave the U.S. in December 2010 but instead over-stayed his visa, remaining in the country for the next six years.

The Jamaican national with pending felony charges was arrested on June 16 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deportation officers.

In May of this year, the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police Department (MTAPD) arrested Clarke. At that time, ICE officials placed a detainer on the illegal alien, requesting that New York City officials hold Clarke until federal authorities could properly take over his case. Clarke was being held in Rikers Island at the time.

In accordance with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s sanctuary city policies, local law enforcement ignored ICE’s detainer on Clarke and he was let out in the public on bail, despite a felony charge against him.

“The city’s failure to honor detainers poses an increased risk to the officers and the community,” New York ICE Field Office Director Thomas Decker said in a statement. “ICE shares New York law enforcement’s ultimate objective to protect public safety and we welcome significant modifications to the current NYC policy, which is needlessly granting criminals the opportunity to reoffend against the city’s residents.”

After being free to roam in New York City for nearly a month, the illegal alien was arrested by ICE agents outside the Queens County courthouse. Clarke is currently in ICE custody where he is facing deportation.

In Fiscal Year 2016, ICE arrested more than 65,000 illegal aliens, of which the vast majority were convicted criminals.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.