Federal immigration authorities are issuing an extraordinary warning to California Governor Gavin Newsom as his administration prepares to release more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants from state and local custody without notifying federal officials. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security say the governor is knowingly allowing violent offenders to walk free rather than turning them over for deportation.
ICE formally asked Newsom and the state of California not to release 33,179 inmates who already have active ICE detainers. Those detainers exist for one reason. To give federal agents the chance to remove dangerous individuals from the country instead of unleashing them back into American neighborhoods.
Newsom is refusing.
What Newsom Is Choosing to Do
Instead of coordinating transfers to federal custody, California is preparing to release these inmates directly into the public. Under Newsom’s sanctuary policies, county jails are barred from cooperating with ICE in most cases, even when the inmates are convicted criminals with serious records.
Federal officials say this is not a misunderstanding or a paperwork issue. It is a deliberate policy choice. Newsom is fully aware of what these inmates have done and what federal authorities are asking for, yet he is choosing politics over public safety.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons summed it up bluntly. “Governor Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers from their jails back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.”
The Crimes Newsom Is Willing to Ignore
The numbers behind these releases are staggering and impossible to defend. According to DHS, the 33,179 inmates account for:
- 399 homicides
- 3,313 assaults
- 3,171 burglaries
- 1,011 robberies
- 8,380 dangerous drug offenses
- 1,984 weapons offenses
- 1,293 sexual predatory offenses
These are not paperwork violations or minor infractions. These are violent crimes, sex crimes, weapons crimes, and large scale drug offenses. Yet Newsom’s policies ensure that once state sentences are served, these offenders are released back into communities instead of being handed to ICE.
Lyons called the situation “dangerous derangement” and said releasing criminal illegal aliens “should not even be a debate.”
ICE Says the Damage Is Already Being Done
Federal officials say California has already proven what happens when detainers are ignored. Since January 20, the state has released 4,561 criminal illegal immigrants with active ICE detainers in just over two weeks. Those releases included 31 homicide cases and 234 sexual predatory offenses.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned that releasing these inmates without notification forces ICE to hunt them down later, often after new victims have already been harmed. Taking custody directly from jails prevents repeat crimes. Releasing them does the opposite.
DHS provided multiple examples of offenders released despite detainers, including individuals charged with child sex crimes, attempted murder, gang activity, and long criminal histories. In several cases, ICE had to arrest them months later after they were already free in the public.
Newsom’s Excuses and Deflection
Newsom’s office claims California cooperates with ICE and points to more than 12,000 transfers since 2019. Federal officials say that claim is misleading at best.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated flatly that California law “prohibits county jails from handing over inmates to immigration authorities,” calling Newsom’s statements a lie.
Rather than addressing the substance of the accusations, Newsom’s office lashed out on social media, accusing federal officials of distractions and telling them to “Google before tweeting.” It was a response that critics say perfectly captures the governor’s attitude. Flippant, political, and utterly detached from the real world consequences.
The Real Choice Newsom Is Making
ICE is not asking California to do anything extreme. It is asking the state to notify federal authorities and allow them to take custody of convicted criminals for removal. That would permanently eliminate the threat these offenders pose to Californians and other Americans.
Newsom is refusing because it conflicts with his sanctuary ideology and national political ambitions. Instead of removing violent criminals from the country, he is choosing to release them back into society and dare the public to live with the consequences.
Federal officials warn that more releases are coming unless Newsom changes course. Californians are left with a governor who knows exactly what he is doing, knows exactly who he is releasing, and simply does not care who pays the price.
