ICE arrests Jamaican man released by Philadelphia Police Department after city officials decline to honor detainer

PHILADELPHIA – On Feb. 18, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrested an illegally present Jamaican man, who was released from Philadelphia custody, despite the presence of an ICE immigration detainer filed with local authorities.

On Jan. 13, 2006, Kirk Odain Anthony Golding, 26, was admitted into the United States in New York as a non-immigrant visitor with authorization to remain in the United States until July 12, 2006; however, Golding failed to depart the United States as required.

Golding was convicted in Philadelphia for possession of marijuana in 2014 and driving under the influence of alcohol in 2018.

On Jan. 30, 2020, the Philadelphia Police Department arrested Golding for the criminal offense of possession with intent to distribute narcotics, possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of an instrument of crime.

On Feb. 1, 2020, the Philadelphia prison system released him back into the community despite the active ICE immigration detainer.

ERO Philadelphia arrested Golding and he remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings before a federal immigration judge.

Sanctuary Policies Put Public Safety at Risk

• When law enforcement agencies don’t honor ICE detainers, these individuals, who often have significant criminal histories, are released onto the street, presenting a potential public safety threat.
• Any local jurisdiction thinking that refusing to cooperate with ICE will result in a decrease in local immigration enforcement is mistaken. Local jurisdictions that choose to not cooperate with ICE are likely to see an increase in ICE enforcement activity, as the agency has no choice but to conduct more at-large arrest operations. A consequence of ICE being forced to make more arrests on the streets, the agency is likely to encounter other unlawfully present foreign nationals who would not have been encountered had we been allowed to take custody of a criminal target within the confines of a local jail.
• Additionally, once these criminals are out on the street, confirming their whereabouts is often time consuming and resource intensive. Many of our arrest targets are seasoned criminals who are savvy about eluding law enforcement.