Marlon Josuel Cruz Fernandez taken into custody by ICE
Dominican Illegal wanted for Homicide Arrested, Deported
By Dan Murphy
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (ICE), has taken action in at least three westchester communities in its continued effort to arrest and deport, illegal residents with a criminal record.
On May 19, New York City arrested Marlon Josuel Cruz Fernandez, an illegal alien from the Dominican Republic wanted in his home country for homicide.
ICE officers and special agents assigned to ICE’s Newburgh office, along with special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Cruz without incident in New Rochelle pursuant to a warrant of arrest.
“This foreign fugitive mistakenly thought he could exploit our immigration laws to evade arrest in his home country,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City acting Field Office Director Judith Almodovar. “Let his futile attempt highlight to other criminal aliens we will always collaborate with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to ensure these fugitives are returned to their home countries to face justice.”
The U.S. Border Patrol encountered and arrested Cruz Dec. 11, 2015, in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas after he illegally entered the U.S. Border Patrol officials served him with a notice to appear for violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act and turned him over to ICE for detention placement. ICE Harlingen granted Cruz bond Feb. 1, 2016, which he posted three days later. Cruz failed to appear for his immigration proceedings Jan. 5, 2017, so the immigration judge ordered him removed in absentia from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic.
On Feb. 2, 2018, authorities in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, issued a warrant for Cruz’s arrest for the offense of homicide, which went international six weeks later. ICE New York City received notification March 16 this year.
The New Rochelle Police Department arrested Cruz for having improper plates and impounded his vehicle May 17. The New Rochelle Police Department released Cruz on his own recognizance prior to realizing that he was an international fugitive wanted for homicide. Upon receiving this information, the police department immediately notified ICE New York City, which — along with federal partners — arrested Cruz. Cruz is currently detained in ICE custody pending removal to the Dominican Republic.-end of release from ICE.
On may 22 in Sleepy Hollow, ICE took three persons into custody, with Mayor Martin Rutyna confirming that ICE agents made the arrest at 530AM. Sleepy Hollow Police were notified but did not participate in the arrest. A warrant for the arrest of one individual with a criminal record was presented by ICE, but two others were also taken into custody.
“As Mayor of the Village of Sleepy Hollow, I am focused on public safety and enhancing the quality of life for our residents. I want to encourage and promote an environment in which all residents feel safe in the village,” said Rutyna.
ICE did not issue a release about activity in Sleepy Hollow, nor in Ossining, where several individuals have posted about ICE sightings on several occassions over the past few months.
Pleasantville and Peekskill are other Westchester locations where ICE agents have been seen.
County Legislator James Nolan, who last month called for more cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement, said after the arrest in New Rochelle. “A few weeks ago, I expressed the urgent need for my colleagues at Westchester County to join me in revising the Immigration Protection Act. We must focus our efforts on cooperating with ICE to ensure that only violent criminals—those convicted of serious offenses—are removed from our community. With the recent report of a staggering $24 million budget gap and the clear warning that operating as a sanctuary county may jeopardize the millions in federal funding we receive, we cannot afford to ignore this reality.
“ICE is actively apprehending violent criminals who endanger our residents and disrupt our safety without our cooperation. The issue is if we continue to not work with them a lot is on the line of us losing. It’s time for us to take decisive action before we put critical funding, which our taxpaying Westchester County residents rely on, at risk. We cannot protect those who commit acts of violence, whether here or abroad, while disregarding our responsibility to safeguard our citizens. I urge my colleagues once again: let’s not turn a blind eye to this pressing issue. We must protect our communities, support those who wish to immigrate legally and responsibly and collaborate with the federal government to eliminate violent offenders from our streets. We must act now to secure the necessary funding that our county desperately needs,” said Nolan.
