Denton, Lewisville, Little Elm, and Carrollton police arrested four aliens over the weekend who were later placed under immigration detainers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Denton County Jail records.
Juan P. Lao, 20, was booked early Monday by the Denton Police Department on charges of driving while intoxicated and having an open alcohol container. Rodolfo Antonio Lopez, 39, was arrested Sunday in Lewisville for assault causing bodily injury. Jonathan Arteaga, 38, was detained in Little Elm Saturday for driving while intoxicated, and Luis A. Arevolo Lopez, 35, was booked Sunday in Carrollton for assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Each had an ICE hold placed on them, according to jail records.
An ICE detainer is a request asking local authorities to notify federal officers before releasing an individual and to hold them up to 48 hours beyond their normal release time so ICE can assume custody, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website. ICE officials stated that these detainers are issued for aliens believed to be removable under federal law and who may pose a threat to public safety or national security.
“These requests allow ICE officers to take custody of removable aliens in a safe, controlled environment instead of at-large in the community,” the agency said on its website.
Local authorities are not required to comply with detainer requests, although they typically notify ICE before releasing the detainee, according to the Law Office of Jorge Vela’s blog. An ICE hold does not constitute a deportation order, and individuals may still be entitled to a bond or other legal remedies under U.S. immigration law, according to Vela’s website.
ICE officers typically issue detainers after reviewing probable cause that the individual is removable, often following a criminal conviction, according to the federal agency’s website. Offenses mentioned by Vega and USCIS that commonly prompted detainers included assault, driving while intoxicated, drug offenses, and other crimes.
Local officials and ICE did not immediately provide additional comment on the specific circumstances of these arrests.