U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Anderson Nunez-Hernandez, a Dominican Republic citizen, as he left the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Complex on February 21. Nunez-Hernandez, previously convicted for possession with intent to distribute, served a 23-month sentence. ICE had to apprehend him in public due to the Philadelphia Sheriff's Department's refusal to honor an immigration detainer placed on him.
"Failing to honor immigration detainers compromises public safety and squanders taxpayer funds. It forces ICE to divert substantial resources to locate and apprehend criminal aliens in unpredictable, high-risk public areas," stated Brian McShane, acting Field Office Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Philadelphia. He added that the Sheriff's Office releases individuals without coordinating with federal officials, despite Congress authorizing ICE to issue arrest warrants.
Nunez-Hernandez was initially arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas, on October 30, 2021, for entering the United States without admission by an immigration official. He was paroled from ICE custody and scheduled for immigration removal proceedings in Philadelphia on December 1, 2021.
An investigation led by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, which included an ICE officer, resulted in Nunez-Hernandez's arrest after a large amount of Fentanyl was seized during a search warrant execution. He was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County on February 21 for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The public can report crimes or suspicious activity through the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or via an online tip form.
For more information about ICE Philadelphia’s mission regarding public safety in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia communities, visit their X account: @EROPhiladelphia.
