The United States Department of Homeland Security announced on July 24 that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer requesting California officials not to release Gokhan Bagci, a Turkish national charged with sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl at a Sacramento daycare.
According to local reporting, the incident occurred in July 2025 when Bagci, described as an illegal alien from Turkey, was working at the daycare. The victim’s mother reported that Bagci lured her daughter into a closet under the pretense of playing hide-and-seek and sexually assaulted her before allegedly taking her to a bathroom and raping her later that day. Bagci was arrested by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office on August 22, 2025. ICE lodged its detainer for him on the same day. He has been charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age.
Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “This criminal illegal alien is accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl at the daycare where he worked. He now faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child. We are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this sicko from jail, and to cooperate with ICE law enforcement.”
According to DHS, Bagci first entered the United States illegally by crossing the southern border in November 2023 but was released after being arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He traveled internationally in December 2023 before re-entering illegally again in September 2024.
DHS also listed several recent cases involving individuals identified as illegal aliens who have been arrested or detained for serious crimes in California or other states after obtaining commercial driver’s licenses or being released following arrests despite ICE detainers being issued.