This article examines a recent New York courtroom incident where a judge allowed a noncitizen with a violent past to leave the courthouse instead of turning him over to federal immigration agents, describing the sequence of events, quoted statements from law enforcement, and concerns about public safety and judicial decisions that appear to block federal enforcement.
New York prosecutors say a man identified as Gerardo Miguel Mora was in custody on state charges when immigration officials expected to take him into federal custody. According to court reports, federal agents had an arrest warrant related to the “reentry of removed aliens” statute and had sent the warrant to the courthouse. Instead of immediately handing him to ICE, the man was permitted to exit the building and was later detained by ICE several blocks away.
That procedural choice has sparked outrage among federal agents and conservative observers who argue it represents a deliberate effort to thwart federal law enforcement. From a Republican viewpoint, this case looks like a pattern where local court practices and sanctuary policies interfere with federal immigration enforcement and public safety. When local officials prioritize avoiding conflict with federal agents over following containment and transfer procedures, it places communities at risk.
An alleged crack-smoking, sexual-predator migrant wanted by ICE was allowed to flee through a back door of a Manhattan courthouse — infuriating federal agents, The Post has learned.
Gerardo Miguel Mora, 45, was arrested Thursday for shoplifting and possession of stolen property after allegedly snatching $130 in items from an H&M display case in Midtown that day, court records show.
Mora, whose country of origin was not disclosed, was collared on the Upper West Side on Jan. 7 for possession of alleged crack cocaine, according to a criminal complaint. That case is pending in court.
Law enforcement reports list a disturbing criminal history that should have raised clear red flags. In 2011, the man was charged in an attempted rape and strangulation incident in Midtown; a witness intervened and held him until police arrived. Federal authorities reportedly sought him on a reentry warrant, which signals prior deportation followed by unlawful return. Even where state charges are minor, an outstanding federal warrant usually triggers immediate transfer to ICE custody.
In 2011, Mora was busted for attempted rape and strangulation after he allegedly followed a 21-year-old woman home in Midtown, choked her and tried to remove her clothes, police sources said.
He was stopped by a bystander who heard the woman’s cries and came to her aid, holding Mora down until cops arrived, the sources said.
He was presumably deported after that, and was off the radar for 12 years. But in 2023 he was back in the US and arrested for showing a false ID.
Federal authorities had been looking for Mora on a criminal arrest warrant under a section of the US code that concerns “reentry of removed aliens,” law enforcement sources said.
Those facts raise a key question: why did the judge allow the defendant to leave through a back exit instead of having him transferred to federal custody inside the courthouse? Federal agents insist they furnished the courthouse with proper paperwork. The sequence suggests either a significant oversight or a willful refusal to cooperate with ICE, which is troubling when the person involved has a history of violence and drug possession.
From a law-and-order viewpoint, cooperation between local courts and federal immigration authorities is essential to protect neighborhoods. When defendants with violent pasts are permitted to evade federal custody, it undermines public trust in the justice system and the rule of law. Conservative critics will say this is exactly why safe, secure borders and firm enforcement matter: communities depend on predictable, consistent enforcement of the laws.
“Everything was sent over” to the courthouse by ICE, a federal law enforcement source said.
But instead of handing him over to waiting ICE agents, Mora was allowed to simply slip out the back door of Manhattan Criminal Court, law enforcement sources said.
“They refused to hand him over,” the irate fed said. “They let him out the back to avoid ICE.”
Allowing a person with that background to leave a court unescorted invites dangerous outcomes and fuels frustration among federal law enforcement, which must then undertake the risk of arresting suspects in public. That scenario is avoidable when courts follow standard transfer protocols and honor valid federal warrants. The incident adds fuel to the debate over sanctuary policies and whether local practices should be allowed to block federal removal efforts.
For many conservatives, the case will reinforce long-held concerns about how sanctuary-minded policies and lenient judicial choices enable repeat offenders to remain in the country. When judges or court systems appear to prioritize policy postures over safety, voters and lawmakers press for reforms that restore cooperation between levels of government. This episode will likely become another talking point for those calling for stricter immigration enforcement and clearer rules obligating local entities to comply with federal requests.
The courthouse episode also raises administrative questions about record-keeping and the handling of warrants within the state system. Even should a judge claim confusion, the fact that ICE agents felt compelled to chase the suspect through city streets rather than process him inside the courthouse is a breakdown worth investigating. Public officials owe the public transparency about how and why such decisions were made.
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