Listen to the article
DHS Reveals Anti-ICE Activists Helping Criminal Immigrants Evade Arrest
The Department of Homeland Security has documented multiple cases where anti-ICE activists actively interfered with federal immigration enforcement operations, helping criminal illegal immigrants—including those accused of child rape, domestic abuse, and gang violence—evade arrest.
“These are the monsters that agitators and sanctuary politicians are protecting,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in an exclusive interview. “We remind the public that obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime.”
The incidents highlight what officials describe as a growing pattern of organized interference during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across multiple states. According to DHS documentation, these obstructions have allowed serious offenders to temporarily avoid custody.
In one case from June 2025, members of the Colorado Rapid Response Network alerted Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a convicted child rapist, of ICE’s presence in the area. Social media posts from the group indicate members used bullhorns to warn potential targets about immigration enforcement activities. While Leon-Deras initially evaded capture, federal agents arrested him a week later on June 27. He received a final removal order on October 30 during the Trump administration’s ongoing enforcement operations in Colorado.
Another troubling incident occurred in Minneapolis, where DHS claims an apartment manager prevented federal agents from entering a building to apprehend Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, a Somali national convicted of violent sex crimes. According to officials, Yusuf had a conviction for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving forcible compulsion and a 2016 arrest for first-degree assault. Despite entering the United States legally in 1996 as a permanent resident, his criminal record made him eligible for deportation. ICE eventually arrested him on December 31.
The pattern extended to Jozias Natanael Carmona-Pena, facing charges for lewd and lascivious acts with a child. DHS officials say Minneapolis authorities, operating under sanctuary city policies, denied ICE’s detainer request and released him. Carmona-Pena had already received a final removal order in 2023 but remained in the country.
When federal officials attempted to arrest Carmona-Pena on December 10, protesters reportedly swarmed immigration officers and obstructed their efforts, with one protester allegedly ramming their vehicle into an ICE vehicle. Local police eventually responded, but the chaos allowed Carmona-Pena to escape temporarily. He was finally apprehended on December 27 and remains in custody pending deportation.
The obstruction isn’t limited to activist groups. In Milwaukee, federal judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of felony obstruction for directing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant charged with domestic abuse, out a courthouse backdoor to avoid waiting ICE agents. DHS reports that Flores-Ruiz had multiple violent charges on his record, including strangulation, suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse when he was eventually arrested following the April incident.
In Illinois, federal immigration officials pursuing an alleged Venezuelan gang member faced similar resistance. After the suspect, identified as Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, rammed his car into police vehicles and barricaded himself inside an apartment, bystanders gathered around officers and began throwing rocks and bottles at them. According to DHS, local police declined to assist, and after several hours of negotiation, ICE officials took Acosta into custody.
These incidents come amid heightened immigration enforcement under the current administration. Critics argue that such enforcement actions tear apart communities, while supporters maintain that targeting criminals with deportation orders enhances public safety.
“As our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to arrest heinous criminals, including child rapists, sex offenders, gang members and other violent offenders, our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them,” McLaughlin stated.
She added that the administration’s position remains firm: “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been very clear. We will not let agitators slow us down from removing criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. If you obstruct or assault law enforcement, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
8 Comments
Activists helping criminals evade deportation is very worrying. However, the details here aren’t entirely clear. I hope a thorough, impartial investigation can shed light on what exactly occurred and ensure the appropriate steps are taken, whether against the activists or the authorities.
Helping sex offenders and gang members avoid deportation is extremely troubling. If the facts as presented are accurate, those involved should face serious legal consequences. The public deserves to be protected from violent criminals, not shielded from justice.
This is a complex issue with valid concerns on multiple sides. I’d encourage looking at credible, objective sources to fully understand the situation before rushing to conclusions. Balancing immigration enforcement and civil liberties is challenging but critically important.
Obstructing immigration enforcement to protect dangerous criminals is unacceptable. But the details here seem murky. I hope the full facts come to light so we can understand what really happened and ensure the right balance between public safety and civil liberties.
Interfering with law enforcement to protect dangerous criminals is unacceptable. But the specifics of this case are murky. I’d want to see a full, impartial accounting of the facts before making any firm judgments. Public safety and the rule of law must be paramount.
This is certainly a concerning situation. It’s crucial that law enforcement be able to carry out their duties without interference, especially when it comes to protecting the public from dangerous criminals. However, I’d want to see more details before rushing to judgment.
This is an incredibly serious allegation. If proven true, those involved should face serious legal consequences. However, I’d want to see detailed evidence and a thorough, unbiased investigation before drawing any firm conclusions. These are complex issues requiring careful consideration.
Activists allegedly helping sex offenders and gang members avoid deportation is deeply concerning. But the details provided are limited. I hope a comprehensive, objective investigation can shed light on exactly what occurred so the appropriate actions can be taken, whatever they may be.