The release of Mendoza-Gonzalez in April sparked outrage from local officials. Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner criticized the laws that allowed the suspect to walk free, highlighting the severity of the crime and the risk posed by his non-U.S. citizen status. State Representative Tom Weber also questioned why someone accused of hiding a decapitated body for weeks had not been held.
Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), emphasized that the agency will arrest individuals in the U.S. illegally, regardless of criminal record, while prioritizing those considered the “worst of the worst.” He noted that enforcement efforts are complicated by so-called sanctuary policies, which prevent local authorities from cooperating with ICE.
Lyons explained that ICE often must make arrests in communities when noncitizens are not turned over by local jails. “We would love to focus all our limited resources on criminal aliens already in custody,” Lyons said, “but we do have to go out into the community and make those arrests.”
He added that anyone found living in the U.S. illegally will be taken into custody, highlighting the agency’s focus on public safety and enforcing immigration laws. Mendoza-Gonzalez’s re-arrest underscores ICE’s ongoing efforts to target individuals with serious criminal allegations while navigating complex local and state policies.
