A Mexican migrant with convictions for assault, robbery, and weapons possession was released from custody under a judge’s supervised-release order, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said. Alonzo Reyes-Garcia, also known as Alberto Tellez, had been the subject of a detainer filed on October 30, 2026, according to an ICE official, seeking to keep him jailed until federal agents could take custody.
The ICE official told the New York Post that Reyes-Garcia walked free after the Department of Homeland Security’s detainer request. The Queens DA’s Office said federal detainers are not lodged with it, that it is not a custodial agency, and that a judge ordered supervised release.
Federal authorities listed Reyes-Garcia as having been convicted of third-degree assault, third-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal contempt for disobeying a court order, second-degree aggravated harassment, and disorderly conduct, according to the same report. A federal immigration judge issued a final removal order for Reyes-Garcia on October 31, 2006. DHS officials said he later re-entered the United States, though the date and location of that re-entry remain unknown, according to those officials.
Internal Guidance and Political Reaction
Per internal records cited by the Post, Katz had instructed prosecutors to exercise extreme caution and avoid focusing on felony or misdemeanor labels in cases involving people who are in the country illegally.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said New York politicians refused to honor ICE’s detainer and released Reyes-Garcia despite his convictions, telling the Post that the city’s politicians prioritize migrants in the country illegally over Americans and sacrifice public safety for political power. Mullin added that the Trump administration will continue targeting, arresting, and removing people who are in the country illegally to promote public safety, according to the same report.
New York City is a sanctuary jurisdiction where authorities do not cooperate with ICE agents, the Post noted. Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order this year directing city agencies to audit and review their policies, protocols, and interactions with non-local immigration enforcement, and Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a provision banning coordination between local police and federal immigration authorities, as reported by New York State, per the same report. DHS has estimated as many as 7.3 million people were in the country illegally during fiscal year 2026 and has issued regular bulletins criticizing New York and other sanctuary jurisdictions, the outlet reported.
Detainer Requests Surged Citywide in 2025
The clash over Reyes-Garcia’s release comes against the backdrop of a steep rise in federal detainer requests directed at city agencies. According to amNewYork, the Department of Correction received 895 civil immigration detainer requests in 2025, an increase of more than 120% over the prior year. The NYPD’s detainer requests jumped even more sharply, from 99 the previous year to 3,672 in fiscal year 2025, though the department did not transfer anyone to federal custody in response, the outlet reported.
The Department of Correction did respond to 24 detainer requests in 2025 by notifying federal authorities of a person’s release and facilitating transfer to ICE custody where city law allowed, amNewYork reported, adding that the department did not detain anyone beyond the term of their sentence. The requests were received in 2025, before Mamdani signed an executive order on February 6, 2026, directing city agencies to audit their interactions with federal immigration authorities, according to NYC Mayor's Office.
That audit also found the Department of Correction had been sending federal immigration authorities daily reports on the national origin of certain noncitizens in custody since at least 2015, the outlet reported. The audit recommended discontinuing those reports, concluding the practice was not required by federal, state, or local law, according to amNewYork’s account.
State Law Limits Local Immigration Agreements
A New York statute cited in state Senate records bars covered local governments, law-enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, and related entities from entering into or extending agreements under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or agreements to house or detain people for federal civil immigration violations. The statutory excerpt does not address how the provision applies to the Reyes-Garcia case specifically.
Separate Enforcement Operation Netted Six Arrests
The Reyes-Garcia case surfaced days after a targeted enforcement operation rounded up six alleged gang members in New York on October 28, 2026, the Post reported. Among those arrested were Jason Hernandez Aguilar and Jose Olbin Argueta Garcia, both taken into custody following drug-possession convictions after having illegally entered the United States, according to the same report. Argueta Garcia had remained in the country despite an immigration judge’s removal order issued in 2023, the outlet reported.
Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella said gang violence harms families and neighborhoods and makes residents fear for their safety, according to the Post’s account. Venturella said ICE was taking dangerous people in the country illegally off the streets to make American cities safer, the outlet reported.
