ICE Rescinds Protections for Undocumented Crime Victims
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rescinded a policy shielding crime victims from detention, leading to the illegal detention of a shooting victim in Iowa.
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded a policy that previously shielded crime victims and their families from detention and removal. This change follows an executive order by President Donald Trump titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," which now allows agents to detain victims even if they hold or are applying for U and T visas.
The impact of this shift is evident in the case of Felipe de Jesus Hernandez Marcelo, a Mexican national who was shot during an attempted robbery in Muscatine, Iowa. After visiting a police station to retrieve his belongings, Hernandez was arrested on an unpaid traffic ticket warrant and transferred to ICE custody. Despite his status as a felony assault victim, he was held indefinitely without a bond hearing.
On September 10, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled that the detention of Hernandez was illegal, stating it caused "irreparable harm," and ordered a bond hearing. Critics of the policy change argue that removing these protections discourages undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes, which may ultimately harm public safety.
