Admitted MS-13 Gang Member Released from Rikers Because of NYC’s Sanctuary Policy

The New York Post reports that Estivan Rafael Marques Velasquez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, and an “admitted member of the notorious MS-13 gang, was released from Rikers Island [prison] on Feb. 16 after serving time for disorderly conduct.”

Despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asking that Velasquez be turned over to them for deportment following his prison sentence, he was simply allowed to walk free under New York City’s sanctuary policy.

Velasquez’s rap sheet includes “second-degree reckless endangerment, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and disorderly conduct.”

Fortunately, ICE was able to track Velasquez down, and he is now in custody.

The Post quotes Thomas Decker, an ICE field office director in New York:

“This man is by his own admission a member of a violent street gang, and he was released back into the community…Honoring a detainer request is not about politics, it is about keeping New York citizens safe.”

However, Rosemary Boeglin, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said that Velasquez’s “gang affiliation was not supported by evidence that meets even minimal constitutional standards.”

In short, an illegal immigrant repeat-felon who was an admitted member of the infamous MS-13 street gang was let go by New York City.

According to Jennifer J. Adams and Jesenia M. Pizarro, PhD, MS-13 is an incredibly violent gang:

The MS-13 has “constitutions” that outline codes of conduct and punishments for breaking gang rules…the gang rules dictate that on every thirteenth day of the month, a member of the [rival] Eighteenth Street gang must die…

Other rules emphasize the obligation to follow orders that are given by a superior member of the gang. If the subordinate member does not follow the orders, the rules indicate that he must be killed…

Members may have to commit some violent act to prove toughness and loyalty in place of, or in addition to, being beaten in, depending on the clique. For example, a member from a Los Angeles clique reported that when he first joined the gang at age nine he had to go into rival territory and shoot a rival gang member at point blank range.

The FBI reports that “MS-13 members engage in a wide range of criminal activity, including drug distribution, murder, rape, prostitution, robbery, home invasions, immigration offenses, kidnapping, carjackings/auto thefts, and vandalism.”

A simple Google search for MS-13 crimes will bring up a horrifying array of murders, rapes, and other violent crimes.

To allow someone like Estivan Rafael Marques Velasquez to walk is extraordinarily reckless. Given his criminal history, as well as his alleged affiliation with one of the most violent criminal organizations in the world, Velasquez should have been handed over to ICE for immediate deportation.

Unfortunately, many progressive politicians don’t care enough to examine the repercussions of their ideologies. Rather, they craft policy with the intent of garnering the most sympathy from the American people in order to gain votes. At a glance, sanctuary city policy appears kind, and reasonable. In reality, while the majority of illegal immigrants aren’t violent criminals, the ones that are can exploit such policy, and slip through the cracks.

In the case of Estivan Rafael Marques Velasquez, no harm was done. Such was not the case with Ever Valles.

Shortly after being released in December by the Denver police following theft charges, Valles was arrested for the murder 32-year-old Timothy Cruz.

Reuters reports:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said in a statement that after Valles was arrested, it placed a detainer with the Denver County jail to hold him until its agents could take him into federal custody.

“The detainer wasn’t honored and he was released by the jail…without prior notification,” ICE said. “Valles is a known gang member whose gang history is documented in the Colorado gang database.”

The case of Ever Valles isn’t unique. Unfortunately, the appearance of compassion is of such great value to progressive politicians, many are willing to justify sanctuary policy, even if it leads to rape, assault, or homicide.