Article snippet: Oscar Pacheco-Leonardo, a 33-year-old illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested almost two months ago by the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office for first-degree rape and child sex crimes. After his arrest, ICE officials said they placed a detainer on Pacheco-Leonardo, requesting that he be turned over to the agency before being released from local custody. Mecklenburg’s sanctuary county policy, however, ensured that the sheriff’s office release the illegal alien from their custody, allowing him to run free for nearly two months before being arrested ICE agents. On June 14, Pacheco-Leonardo was arrested by Mecklenburg County police for one count of first-degree rape and two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The following day, ICE placed a detainer on the illegal alien. Rather than handing him over to ICE, Mecklenburg police released Pacheco-Leonardo on June 16. Pacheco-Leonardo had already been deported from the U.S. in July 2006. Sometime after this date, the illegal alien re-entered the county through the southern border — a felony under federal law. “The Mecklenburg County sheriff’s decision to restrict cooperation with ICE serves as an open invitation to aliens who commit criminal offenses, that Mecklenburg County is a safe haven for persons seeking to evade federal authorities, and residents of Mecklenburg County are less safe today than last year due to these policies,” ICE official Sean Gallagher said in a statement. Over the past... Link to the full article to read more