Attorney General William Barr Announces Significant Actions To Promote Public Safety And Enforce Federal Immigration Laws

Today, Attorney General William P. Barr addressed the National Sheriff’s Association in Washington, D.C., announcing significant actions to facilitate the apprehension, prosecution, and removal of aliens who are in the United States illegally and have committed criminal acts. Attorney General Barr explained, among other things, that “sanctuary” policies jeopardize public safety by preventing local law enforcement from sharing information and honoring federal detention requests in the context of immigration crimes.

In the District of Nevada, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has successfully prosecuted criminal aliens who unlawfully returned to the country and committed significant crimes in the United States. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with our state, federal, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and to ensure our borders are protected,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Nicholas A. Trutanich. “Hampering federal enforcement efforts poses a risk to public safety.”

Ernesto M. Santacruz, Jr., Deputy Field Office Director, Nevada (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) stated: “We value the cooperation provided by the local law enforcement here in Nevada and know that the indispensable relationship ensures the safety of the people and communities in this state. We must continue to work together to make sure the criminal aliens are off our streets and not released back into the community to reoffend.”

As a recent example, on January 13, 2020, defendant Eric Yokani Moreno-Ochoa was sentenced to 50 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful reentry in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1326. Moreno-Ochoa — who previously had been removed three times from the United States within a five-year period — has prior felony convictions for burglary and trafficking in controlled substance, including 23.8g of methamphetamine.

Over the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada has prosecuted more than 180 illegal reentry cases, many of which involved convicted felons who repeatedly returned to the United States following deportation. 

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