Sanctuary cities’ get-out-of-jail fail



Advocates sell sanctuary policies as a public-safety boon. Keep local police out of immigration enforcement, they argue, and immigrant communities will trust cops, report crime, and make everyone safer. But New York, Fairfax County, Virginia, and Chicago tell a different story.

When local authorities refuse to transfer removable criminal aliens already in jail, they do not neutralize danger. They return it to the streets, where law-abiding residents become prey.

Order requires one standard in the jail and courthouse, not a local veto over federal custody. Sanctuary policies reverse those priorities.

New York is making a strong bid to become America’s leading sanctuary snake pit. In May, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” which bans 287(g) agreements and contracts to house civil immigration detainees. These jail partnerships do not authorize “street raids.” They let local officials screen people already booked on local charges and transfer removable offenders to ICE in a secure setting.

The law also established an Orwellian “Office of Immigrant Trust” in Attorney General Letitia James’ office to enforce compliance. James warned the 12 law enforcement agencies that still had 287(g) agreements and sued the Rensselaer County sheriff after his office refused to terminate its agreement. Fifteen elected sheriffs, represented by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, filed a federal lawsuit, while Hochul dared opponents to “bring it on.”

The “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” will not deliver the community safety its backers claim to seek. Ending 287(g) does not keep “local cops focused on local crimes.” If ICE later arrests the same person, agents must find and arrest him at large, using more officers and accepting more uncertainty and danger than a transfer from custody would require. Albany’s law forbids the orderly custody transfers that these agreements facilitate. It has also pushed veteran sheriffs into federal court to defend tools they use to protect their communities.

Fairfax County, Virginia, shows what happens when the sanctuary slogan becomes operating procedure. Sheriff Stacey Kincaid refuses to hold an inmate past a local release date based solely on an administrative ICE detainer. Her office requires a judicial warrant before it will extend local custody, though ICE issues detainers as administrative requests. Records from the sheriff’s office show that Fairfax declined 615 transfers over 16 months — 448 in 2025 and 167 in the first four months of 2026 — while transferring only 11 people to ICE.

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PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano’s plea-bargaining, charging, and sentencing policy, which directs prosecutors to consider immigration consequences. The department is investigating whether that policy discriminates against U.S. citizens. It has not reached a conclusion.

A House subcommittee later questioned Descano and Kincaid under oath. The record includes people whom Fairfax released despite ICE detainers and whom authorities later charged with new crimes, including murder. Fairfax and ICE dispute responsibility for at least one such release.

Defenders respond that Fairfax is not “harboring” anyone because ICE can still make street arrests. But jail transfers give agents the safest opportunity to assume custody; street arrests expose officers, suspects, and bystanders to more risk. When a county rejects hundreds of detainers, it does not prove illegal aliens commit less crime. It releases people federal officers have identified as removable and leaves ICE to find them elsewhere.

Prosecutors compound the problem when they shape charging or plea decisions to avoid deportation. A justice system that treats otherwise comparable cases differently based on immigration consequences creates a two-track courthouse. The Justice Department is investigating whether Descano’s office gave noncitizen defendants preferential treatment that citizens did not receive; it has not yet answered that question.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) has used executive orders and litigation to limit police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

RELATED: Democrats move to make ICE agents unemployable in California

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images

During the migrant surge that defined his early term, Chicago spent $639.6 million to house and serve 46,282 arrivals; 42%, about $269 million, came from the city’s corporate fund. Chicago now faces an $882.4 million budget gap for 2027, although city officials cite several drivers unrelated to migrant spending.

Chicago already has plenty of homegrown problems. What did residents gain from spending $639.6 million on a crisis that strained police stations and city services? Johnson offers platitudes and accusations of racism to anyone who asks.

Communities are safer when jailers transfer a removable offender from local custody instead of releasing him and forcing federal agents to hunt him later. Cities protect their budgets when they put lifelong residents ahead of noncitizens.

Order requires one standard in the jail and courthouse, not a local veto over federal custody. Sanctuary policies reverse those priorities. Lawmakers and voters must remove this pox from America.

Lindsay Clancy’s Activist Jury Is A Consequence Of Democrats’ Soft-On-Crime Creep

Facts, not feelings of solidarity or sympathy, were supposed to guide the Clancy jurors as they determined her legal fate.

Records Show Anti-DEI Republican Helped Install Ideology At Texas Health Center

'Structurally racist, ableist, heteronormative, sexist, and cis-sexist'

4 violent robbery suspects arrested; but when jailer opens cell to check on 1 suspect, more violence — and an escape — ensues



Police in Sugar Land, Texas, said four males physically attacked a clerk at a CVS store in the 1400 block of Crabb River Road in the Greatwood area and made off with a bag of cash just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Sugar Land is just under 30 minutes southwest of Houston.

The clerk suffered minor injuries but required no hospital transport, police said, adding that four suspects in the aggravated robbery were soon located and taken into custody.

'I hope they get the justice they deserve! Clearly they cannot be trusted to live in society!'

However, a police department jailer checked on one of the four prisoners later on Sunday — around 4:50 p.m. — and the jailer was assaulted when he opened the cell, police said.

With that, the suspect was able to release the other prisoners, and they all escaped, police said.

But the four suspects — 19-year-old Edmound Guillory, 18-year-old Devontae Simon, and 17-year-olds Desean Dillard and Clayton Johnson — were located around 6:20 p.m. and taken back into custody. KTRK-TV reported that they were found at the First Colony Church of Christ.

Police said their jailer was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition.

Police told KTRK that all four suspects will be transported to Fort Bend County Jail. Police said in addition to the initial charges of aggravated robbery, the suspects now face charges ranging from escape to attempted murder.

Commenters underneath the police department's Facebook post about the jail escape weren't thrilled with the suspects, to say the least:

  • "Please put these idiots away," one commenter wrote, adding that "we don't need them on the street; that's what's wrong with things these days; [teenage] punks have no respect."
  • "Fathers please help your sons when they are young," another user urged.
  • "Oooh, that FAFO is about to come back on them," another commenter remarked.
  • "Thugs!" another user exclaimed before adding "prayers for the officer who was injured and for those who caught these incorrigibles."
  • "I hope they get the justice they deserve!" another commenter stated. "Clearly they cannot be trusted to live in society!"

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'Ding-dong ditch' prank ends with homeowner firing multiple rounds at car — and juvenile passenger getting shot, cops say



Yet another "ding-dong ditch" prank has gone wrong — this time over the weekend in North Carolina.

The Iredell County Sheriff's Office said deputies were conducting a traffic stop on Taylorsville Highway when they heard multiple gunshots coming from a nearby neighborhood around 11:20 p.m. Saturday.

'So what are these kids going to be charged with??'

Within two minutes, deputies were in the area of Absher Farm Loop to locate the origin of the gunfire, officials said.

While responding, Iredell County Emergency Communications received a 911 call reporting a person with a gunshot wound on Castle Pines Drive, located within the same neighborhood, officials said.

Arriving deputies located an unoccupied vehicle stopped in the road with its passenger doors open, broken glass on the ground, and apparent bullet holes in the vehicle, officials said.

Deputies found a group of juveniles in a nearby field, one of whom was on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg, officials said.

Iredell County EMS responded to the scene and took the wounded juvenile to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for emergency medical treatment, officials said.

Deputies learned the juveniles were traveling through the neighborhood when an unknown person fired a gun at their vehicle, officials said, adding that one round entered the vehicle and struck the victim in the leg.

During the investigation, an individual approached deputies and identified himself as the shooter, officials said.

RELATED: Male, 30, shoots 14 rounds at teens playing 'ding-dong-ditch' prank — and wounds 1, police say

Image source: Iredell County (N.C.) Sheriff's Office

Craig Steven Mason told investigators loud noises coming from a neighboring residence awakened him, after which he retrieved a handgun, went outside to investigate, saw a vehicle driving through the neighborhood with no headlights on, and fired multiple rounds toward the vehicle as it passed. Officials said the vehicle was struck four times, with one round striking the juvenile passenger.

Detectives also determined the juveniles were in the neighborhood engaging in a prank commonly referred to as “ding-dong ditch,” involving ringing doorbells and knocking on doors before running away, officials said.

Detectives determined the juvenile victims had not approached Mason’s residence, only nearby homes, officials added.

Detectives obtained arrest warrants for Mason on the following charges, officials said: felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, four counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon, and felony discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

Mason was arrested Monday and issued no bond, officials said, adding that bond will be determined upon his appearance before a District Court Judge.

The wounded juvenile remained hospitalized as of Monday and was receiving medical treatment, officials said, adding that as the investigation continues, additional charges may be forthcoming.

Legal experts told the Charlotte Observer that ding-dong ditch participants also can face charges ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.

The Facebook post from the sheriff's office has attracted hundreds of comments, and many are critical of the homeowner:

  • "A gun comes with responsibility," one commenter stated. "Can’t have one without the other."
  • "Maybe the kids were in the wrong, but at least they weren’t doing drugs or drinking. Just having some fun," another user wrote. "Apparently this gentleman did not bother to study gun regulations and rules. Unfortunately for him he is in serious trouble. If you plan to own a firearm please understand the rules and regulations pertaining to self defense. These guys could have been leaving a friends house and just had not cut their lights on and had nothing to do with knocking on the door. Be smart and safe out there."
  • "I hate ding-dong-ditch, but that man had no business firing at the car like that," another commenter declared. "Totally irresponsible."
  • "Yeah, this was not an act of defense," another user said. "This was an act from annoyance."

Others directed their criticisms elsewhere:

  • "Parents, explain to your kids that the days of jerking people around with their pranks are over," another commenter said. "People are armed and might not be clear on what the rules of engagement are. Take the time to explain the dangers when you might not know who’s going to respond and how they might respond. Simple fix."
  • "I guess they ding donged and found the F out," another user wrote.
  • "I think the teenagers got exactly what they deserved," another commenter stated. "Maybe next time they'll think before doing something stupid."
  • "So what are these kids going to be charged with??" another user asked.

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Make mandatory minimums great again



When victims’ advocates push for mandatory minimum sentences, the leniency lobby instantly howls about “judicial discretion.” In theory, that's right: In a just society, judges should have the freedom to weigh every case, tailoring sentences to fit the crimes.

But America doesn’t live in that society. We live in an era when violent crime floods major cities and leftist judges treat predators like misunderstood poets. In this environment, mandatory minimums aren’t cruel — they’re the only remaining safeguard for victims and the public.

It’s not enough to share viral videos of street mayhem. Lawmakers must change the laws.

Recent headlines show what happens when liberal judges turn mercy into malpractice.

  • Charlotte’s revolving door: North Carolina Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes released Decarlos Brown Jr., the alleged murderer of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, despite his long arrest record. Her supervisor, Judge Roy Wiggins, then released Paulette Gibson, accused of stabbing two people, on just $20,000 bail — despite 15 prior arrests.
  • Fifty arrests and counting: Herbert Jordan of Charlotte, arrested Oct. 16 for assaulting a woman, had 50 prior arrests, including 10 attacks on women since 2020. He had been released just weeks earlier on $3,000 bond for another violent assault. The judge’s response this time? Raise the bond to $5,000.
  • A juvenile menace: A 15-year-old in Charlotte was reportedly arrested 111 times since 2023 — 55 vehicle thefts, 45 break-ins, multiple gun charges — and yet was released again. Police say his phone contained searches like “what is the charge for killing an officer?” and “what is capital murder?”
  • D.C.’s “rehabilitate, not punish” justice: In the District of Columbia, two teens who beat a man nearly to death during a carjacking spree were sentenced to probation. Judge Kendra D. Briggs, a Biden appointee, said her job was “to rehabilitate, not to punish.” D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Monday that she would bring federal assault charges.
  • Florida’s near-fatal leniency: In Orange County, 23-year-old Jacoby Vontrell Tillman allegedly choked a jogger unconscious because he “wanted to know what it was like to choke someone out.” He had prior arrests for attempted murder and sexual assault, yet Judge Elaine Barbour released him on a $9,500 bond — over objections from even a left-wing prosecutor.
  • Las Vegas, 2023: Jonathan Lewis Jr., a white 17-year-old, was stomped to death by a mob of black juveniles outside Rancho High School. Prosecutors later downgraded second-degree murder charges to voluntary manslaughter and moved the case to juvenile court. The killers could be free within a few years.

These cases represent thousands of similar stories nationwide: repeat violent offenders cycling through the system, juvenile thugs shielded from real punishment, and judges who treat consequences as optional.

From ‘over-incarceration’ to under-protection

For more than a decade, both parties have joined the bipartisan delusion that America’s problem is “over-incarceration.” The result? A generation of politicians dismantled the tough-on-crime gains of the 1990s and early 2000s under the false promise of “criminal justice reform.”

Yes, some defendants have received unjustly harsh sentences. Yes, political prosecutions and overzealous prosecutors exist. But for every offender punished too severely, dozens walk free after attacking, raping, or killing. The imbalance grows worse each year.

RELATED: The city that chose crime and chaos over courage

BeyondImages via iStock/Getty Images

This “leniency-industrial complex” has replaced accountability with excuses. Its apostles treat crime as a symptom of social failure, not individual evil. Meanwhile, victims — especially women and the poor — pay the price for their moral vanity.

Time to rewrite the rules

America doesn’t need another debate about “equity” in sentencing. It needs a crime-control revolution that restores deterrence and puts fear back where it belongs — in the hearts of criminals.

That means tightening judicial discretion, strengthening mandatory minimums for repeat and violent offenders, and ending the revolving door for juvenile predators.

It’s not enough to share viral videos of street mayhem. Lawmakers must change the laws. The public’s patience — and the nation’s safety — won’t survive another decade of judicial compassion for the cruel.

100+ unqualified immigrants were hired as corrections officers in Washington jails, whistleblower claims



An anonymous whistleblower claimed that a Washington corrections department illegally hired unqualified immigrants as corrections officers.

According to Fox News Digital, the individual wrote to the Criminal Justice Training Commission in August, stating that the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention violated a state statute that requires all peace officers and corrections officers to be United States citizens, lawful permanent residents, or recipients of deferred action for childhood arrivals.

"It has come to my attention, that, over the past several years, the King County DAJD has knowingly hired individuals as corrections officers who do not meet these legal requirements," the letter to the commission read.

The whistleblower claimed that in some instances, individuals with temporary work visas or expired work authorization were hired to guard detention centers.

"This practice not only undermines the integrity of Washington's criminal justice system but also presents significant legal and security concerns," the whistleblower remarked, urging the commission to investigate the claims promptly.

The number of unqualified hires could exceed 100, according to the whistleblower, SeattleRed's "The Jason Rantz Show" first reported.

RELATED: How many immigrants have actually left the country?

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

“The scale of this problem cannot be overstated. It is estimated that well over 100 corrections officers currently employed by DAJD may fall into this questionable status,” the whistleblower reportedly stated. “Some estimates place the number closer to 130 officers."

"If the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) revokes their certifications, these individuals would be unable to continue serving as corrections officers," the statement continued. "The loss of this many staff would place the County’s jail system on the brink of collapse, with the very real possibility of forcing the closure of a jail due to unsafe staffing levels.”

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Photo by Linda Davidson/Washington Post/Getty Images

The WSCJTC “provides training and certification after agencies hire and verify that individuals meet all employment and eligibility requirements under state law,” the commission told Blaze News, noting that employers are responsible for determining employment eligibility.

“WSCJTC is conducting an open investigation into King County’s hiring practices for individuals who do not meet state eligibility requirements. WSCJTC will initiate a decertification case against any individual who is not qualified for certification under state law,” the commission continued. “WSCJTC immediately expelled four King County corrections academy recruits after King County confirmed they did not meet eligibility requirements.”

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Thugs on parole, probation thrown behind bars after allegedly repeating same crimes that got them in trouble previously



A pair of males who had been on parole and probation are behind bars after allegedly committing the same crimes that got them in trouble with law enforcement previously.

First up is 21-year-old Anthony Cheeks, who was charged with robbing passengers on a Chicago train line — after he had completed parole for robbing a passenger on that same train line, CWB Chicago reported.

'You know, I shoot m***********s!'

The outlet said Cheeks was accused of robbing a 38-year-old man's backpack on a Red Line train Sept. 5.

Then, just six days later, Cheeks and accomplices approached a 47-year-old man aboard a Red Line train at the 47th Street station, CWB Chicago noted, citing prosecutors.

Cheeks allegedly demanded the victim’s bottle of Tito’s vodka, and when the victim refused, Cheeks allegedly put his hand in his pants to suggest he had a gun, the outlet said.

“You know, I shoot m***********s!” he allegedly warned before taking the vodka bottle and punching the victim in the face, chest, and head, CWB Chicago reported.

Transit video cameras recorded both incidents, and both victims identified Cheeks in a photo lineup, the outlet said.

As it happens, court records show Cheeks got a four-year prison sentence in 2024 for mugging a 66-year-old man the year prior — again, aboard a Red Line train — and Cheeks recently completed parole in that case, CWB Chicago said.

But Judge Antara Rivera ordered Cheeks detained on robbery and aggravated battery charges for last month's incidents, the outlet noted. Cook County Jail records indicate Cheeks was booked on Sept. 16, and he remained behind bars Friday on no bond; his next court date is listed in jail records as Tuesday.

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Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune

Next up is 22-year-old Kyir Walker, who's accused of taking a phone at gunpoint and then transferring nearly $1,200 to himself — while on probation for stealing phones and transferring money to himself, CWB Chicago reported in a separate story.

Prosecutors said Walker and an accomplice took victims’ phones and banking apps to drain their accounts outside the Nike Store in the 600 block of North Michigan Avenue in 2024, the outlet said.

In one case, a 20-year-old lost $500 through his Chase app, CWB Chicago reported, adding that in another case, a 37-year-old lost $2,000 through Bank of America after Walker allegedly grabbed the victim's phone under the pretense of a donation request. That victim later received taunting text messages from the offenders, prosecutors said, according to the outlet.

Both victims identified Walker in photo lineups, CWB Chicago said, and officers took Walker into custody last year after recognizing him while working a Cubs game.

Judge Shelley Sutker-Dermer last November sentenced Walker to a two-year “second chance probation” after he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from person, the outlet said, adding that Walker was required to complete 40 hours of community service and earn his GED; if successful, his convictions would be wiped from his record.

But prosecutors said Walker around 4 a.m. May 11 of this year approached a 23-year-old man from Crown Point, Indiana, in the 600 block of North Clark and allegedly displayed a gun, ordered the victim to unlock his phone, and used it to Zelle $1,190 to an account identified as “BBOYS," CWB Chicago said.

Once again, the victim later picked Walker out of a photo lineup, the outlet said, citing police reports. Officers took Walker into custody near Wrigley Field on the evening of Oct. 2 when they recognized that he was wanted in connection with the May armed robbery, CWB Chicago added. Judge John Hock ordered Walker detained on Oct. 3.

Walker remained Friday in Cook County on no bond; his next court date is Oct. 17, jail records indicate.

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Trump’s crime plan can’t repeat his first-term mistake



President Trump is right: It’s a disgrace that violent criminals and gangs roam freely through the nation’s capital — even in neighborhoods housing top government officials. Federalizing control over D.C. law enforcement and deploying the National Guard makes sense. But the deeper rot isn’t a lack of police presence. It’s the collapse of deterrence through weak sentencing and a revolving door for repeat offenders, especially juveniles.

If Trump truly wants to make Washington safe — and follow El Salvador’s tough-on-crime model — he must break from the “criminal justice reform” movement he once embraced. Those same policies have turned D.C. into a carjacker’s paradise.

The bipartisan experiment with leniency has failed. The bipartisan demand for safety is loud and clear.

No cherry-picked statistics can hide the reality: Lawmakers, staffers, and high-ranking officials fear walking around parts of the city, including Capitol Hill, even during the day. The recent attack on DOGE official Edward Coristine by a pack of 10 juveniles attempting to steal a woman’s car says everything. In 2023, D.C.’s carjacking rate hit 142.8 per 100,000 people, up 565% since 2019. Juveniles committed 63% of those crimes, with guns involved in more than three-quarters of cases.

The crime wave wasn’t random. In 2018, the D.C. Council passed the Youth Rehabilitation Act Amendment, allowing most offenders under 25 to get reduced sentences and sealed records. Repeat armed carjackers face little risk of long-term prison time. Even FBI agents have been victims. Mayor Muriel Bowser admitted some juvenile carjackers have six or seven priors — and still walk free.

Other “reform” laws stacked the deck. The Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act allowed resentencing for crimes committed before age 18. The Second Look Amendment of 2020 expanded that leniency to criminals sentenced before the age of 25 — prime time for violent crime. These measures all but erased the deterrent effect of sentencing.

And this isn’t just a problem for left-wing dystopian cities and states. Republican lawmakers in red states have pushed softer juvenile laws, too. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had to veto several leniency bills. He remains one of the few willing to confront the bipartisan jailbreak agenda.

Over the past decade, leaders in both parties have embraced the “decarceration” canard. They’ve reduced sentences, ignored parole violations, and wiped criminal records — all in the name of shrinking prison populations.

The result? Predictable chaos.

RELATED: The capital of the free world cannot be lawless

TheaDesign via iStock/Getty Images

President Reagan’s Task Force on Victims of Crime saw it coming four decades ago: “Juveniles too often are not held accountable for their conduct, and the system perpetuates this lack of accountability.”

Trump himself backed the First Step Act, which released dangerous offenders early. One of them — Glynn Neal, with a long record of violent crime — walked free just one day before stabbing a staffer for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky).

Troops on the street can help. But this is more than a policing problem — it’s a policy problem. Trump’s second term should reject the leniency consensus and restore deterrence, starting with nullifying D.C.’s soft-on-crime laws.

If he wants to win the public’s trust on crime, he must trade “criminal justice reform” for criminal justice enforcement. The bipartisan experiment with leniency has failed. The bipartisan demand for safety is loud and clear.

The Federal Government Must Prosecute Activists Who Harbor Illegal Immigrants In Cities Like L.A.

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-20-at-8.10.37 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-20-at-8.10.37%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]CA officials openly refuse to work with ICE, making it nearly impossible for the federal government to enforce immigration laws.