U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently posted on its official X account a series of updates regarding the custody of individuals with serious criminal convictions.
On February 18, 2026, ICE listed several charges including grand theft, controlled substance trafficking, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possessing a firearm by a convict, receiving stolen property, and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The agency stated: "—GRAND THEFT —CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE TRAFFICKING —CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT KIDNAPPING —CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE —POSSESSING A FIREARM BY A CONVICT —RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY —USE OF A FIREARM DURING A DRUG TRAFFICKING CRIME After his grand theft conviction in the sanctuary https://t.co/zPSDf0X6Qz".
Shortly after, also on February 18, 2026, ICE provided information about another case involving rape and possessing an altered or invalid driver’s license. The agency reported: "—RAPE —POSSESSING AN ALTERED/INVALID DRIVER’S LICENSE Our St. Paul officers took custody of criminal illegal alien Miguel Ramon Caveda-Perez safely from the South Dakota State Penitentiary via an immigration detainer. https://t.co/7NBq0ohkTu".
In another post dated February 18, 2026, ICE detailed the transfer of Gaully Quintana Martinez following his sentence for aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon at Louisiana’s Morehouse Parish Correctional Center. The statement read: "—AGGRVATED BATTERY W/A DANGEROUS WEAPON Our New Orleans officers safely took custody of criminal illegal alien Gaully Quintana Martinez after he served his sentence at Louisiana’s Morehouse Parish Correctional Center. Immigration detainers make everyone safer! https://t.co/AvAMNYpuU0".
These updates reflect ICE's continued practice of using immigration detainers to assume custody of individuals convicted of certain crimes upon their release from local or state facilities. Immigration detainers are requests by federal authorities to local law enforcement agencies to hold individuals suspected of violating immigration laws until federal agents can take them into custody.
The debate over sanctuary jurisdictions and cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities continues nationwide. Sanctuary policies typically limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement except in cases involving serious crimes.
