California Democratic officials continue to push sanctuary policies and release criminal illegal immigrants back into local communities.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, California has released nearly 24,000 criminal illegal immigrants from jail back on the streets, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The group includes murderers, child abusers, kidnappers and gang members.
DHS officials have railed against California’s practice of releasing criminal suspects and dangerous convicts and ignoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.
“Governor Gavin Newsom and his cronies in California have turned the Golden State into a hotbed of illegal alien crime,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
California voters appear to have no problem with criminals roaming free after electing Xavier Becerra by a predicted 30-percentage point margin to serve as California’s next governor.
Becerra’s win over Republican Steve Hilton means Democrats will extend their 16-year stronghold on the state’s top elected office. Becerra headed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden and lost track of hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minor children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
And the Los Angeles mayor-elect, Democratic socialist Nithya Raman, wants to abolish ICE.
California law generally bars local and state law enforcement agencies from honoring detainers or notifying ICE before letting criminal suspects go, except for individuals convicted of certain serious crimes.
“California sanctuary politicians have repeatedly chosen to ignore ICE detainers for illegal aliens in their custody, and released murderers, child abusers, kidnappers, and gang members back onto the street,” Mullin said. “Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians may continue trying to harbor illegal alien murderers and child abusers, but the Trump Administration will always put the American people first.”
According to DHS, there are more than 81,000 criminal charges or convictions associated with these non-honored detainers, including:
- 169 homicides
- 147 sexual assaults
- 1,088 drug trafficking charges
- 1,097 assaults
- 3,295 burglaries
DHS highlighted 10 illegals with extensive criminal histories and ICE detainers who have been released by California authorities, particularly in Los Angeles County.
Ursulo Montenegro Martinez, from Mexico, has convictions for homicide – negligent manslaughter with a weapon, possession of a narcotic controlled substance, transport/sell narcotics/controlled substance and illegal entry.
Taron Gorgoyan, from Armenia, has convictions for voluntary manslaughter, assault likely to produce great bodily injury, identity theft and disturbing the peace.
Salvador Jesus Serpas-Hernandez, from El Salvador and Rebels 13 gang member, has convictions for murder, cruelty to a child: possible injury/death, battery on non-cohabitant former spouse, and exhibiting a deadly weapon.
Noe Silva-Cervantes, from Mexico and Inglewood 13 gang member, has convictions for attempted murder, robbery and grand theft.
Javier Balbuena Fernandez, from Cuba, has convictions for second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to cause great bodily harm.
Carlos Alberto Amaya-Velasquez, from El Salvador, has convictions for felony accessory after the fact and receiving known stolen property, and arrests for attempted murder, vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, obstructing a public officer, evading a peace officer, and carrying a loaded firearm in public.
Samuel Darling Cruz Florino, from Mexico, has convictions for voluntary manslaughter, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and prisoner in possession of a weapon.
Ahmed Elgehmbri, from Libya, has convictions for attempted murder, assault with firearm on person, discharge firearm from vehicle, shooting at inhabited dwelling/vehicle, and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.
Jose Perez Chaparro-Chaparra, from Mexico, was convicted of illegal entry and arrested for homicide, aggravated assault with a gun, firing weapon, conspiracy to commit battery and drug and driving offenses.
Wilber Ismael Ortez-Ramos, from El Salvador, was arrested for murder, cruelty to child: possible injury or death and mayhem.
Outgoing two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom has been in a yearslong feud with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement and other issues. Leading up to election day, Newsom returned to trolling Trump and making threats on social media.
“A warning to Donald Trump: I’m deploying election lawyers to key battleground districts in California to protect every vote,” Newsom wrote on social platform X.
A warning to Donald Trump:
I’m deploying election lawyers to key battleground districts in California to protect every vote.
And I just made it a FELONY to illegally seize ballots.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 29, 2026
In the last year, Trump’s U.S. Department of Transportation has targeted California’s Department of Motor Vehicles for failing in its oversight of non-domiciled commercial licenses.
Several fatalities involving illegal immigrant semi-truck drivers have been traced back to CDLs issued in California. Fatal crashes have killed Americans in California, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Oregon.
In 2025, an audit of non-domiciled CDLs in the state found systemic non-compliance and administrative errors. In November 2025, the DOT ordered the state to cancel approximately 17,000 unlawfully issued licenses.
In September, ICE lodged a detainer for Chamkaur Singh, an illegal immigrant from India, after his arrest for causing a semi-truck crash that killed two people in Ontario, California. He had been granted a CDL in California.
In May, ICE lodged a detainer for Manvir Singh, also from India, after he was arrested for causing a semi-truck crash that killed two people near Lodi, California.
In June 2024, Partap Singh, from India, caused a multi-car pileup while driving an 18-wheeler recklessly in San Bernardino, California, after he had been given a CDL by Newsom’s DMV. The crash seriously injured 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman and several others.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed 100 lawsuits against the second Trump administration as of October 2026, per CalMatters.
The latest lawsuit filed Oct. 15 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California State targets ICE at courthouses. State leaders want to block immigration agents from making arrests at state courthouses, alleging it’s a Constitutional overstep.
During the first Trump administration, California officials sued the federal government a total of 123 times in four years. Becerra bragged about suing Trump 122 times during his tenure as attorney general, NBC News reported.
