New Immigration Policies let criminals roam free
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Recently enacted policy changes by U.S. immigration officials may have allowed a Lake County crime spree suspect to remain on the streets for nearly three weeks instead of being detained.
Juan Razo told Lake County Sheriff deputies he was in the country illegally when he was questioned during a traffic stop July 7—just three weeks before police believe he went on a crime spree that left one woman dead.
TIMELINE: Lake Co. crime spree rocks small town, leaves prominent community member dead
According to a Lake County police report, U.S. Border Patrol officials were contacted but said they would not take Razo into custody.
An exclusive 5 On Your Side Investigation obtained internal immigration memorandums that shed light on why Razo was allowed to remain on the streets for nearly three weeks instead of being taken into custody.
According to a Nov. 20, 2014 memorandum to Thomas S. Winkowski, Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a program known as "Secure Communities" was "discontinued."
Winkowski was told by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson that the program had "attracted a great deal of criticism, is widely misunderstood and is embroiled in litigation."
Johnson told Winkowksi it had "become a symbol of hostility" and "state and local law enforcement around the country have increasingly refused to cooperate with the program."
The same day, a new policy for "Apprehension, Detention and Removal of Undocumented Immigrants" was unveiled in a separate memo.
Under the new policy, undocumented immigrants like Juan Razo would be detained only if they fit into several distinct categories.
Those include terrorism or espionage suspects as well as those convicted of:
Criminal street gang crimes
Felonies
Three or more misdemeanors
Other crimes including domestic violence, sex abuse, burglary, firearms, drug or DUI offenses
Razo fell under none of those categories.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency insists only U.S. Border Patrol was notified and immigration officials had no contact with Lake County officials but did confirm that under the new policies it's likely Razo would not have been detained.
Spokesman Khaalid Walls said "ICE closely monitoring this case and coordinating with local authorities to ensure the safe transfer of Mr. Juan Manuel Razo-Ramirez to ICE custody should he be released from criminal custody."
Khaalid says ICE intends to take custody of Razo-Ramirez and pursue his removal from the United States after the completion of his criminal proceedings and any sentenced imposed.
Then this happened.
PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The Lake County Sheriff's Department had contact with Juan Razo days before he became a suspect in a crime spree that left a woman dead Monday afternoon.
TIMELINE: Lake Co. crime spree rocks small town, leaves prominent community member dead
According to a police report from July 7, a Lake County Sheriff's Deputy spotted a suspicious car and approached the driver, Razo.
Razo admitted to being in the U.S. illegally and deputies called the U.S. Border Patrol, the report states, but the agency decided not to respond to take Razo into custody.
The Lake County Sheriff's deputies could not hold Razo because he was not charged with any crime.
Guess Trump was not wrong.