The Department of Homeland Security is demanding New Jersey officials keep a Mexican national behind bars after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor, marking the latest confrontation between federal immigration enforcement and sanctuary state policies.
Federal Officials Issue Direct Warning
Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez following his March 2 arrest by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities charged him with sexually assaulting a victim between 13 and 15 years old, criminal sexual contact, and sexual assault by force or coercion. DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis delivered a stark message to state leaders: “This pedophile should never have been in our country and able to prey on children in the first place.”
🚨We are calling on New Jersey sanctuary politicians to NOT RELEASE an illegal alien PEDOPHILE into our communities.
Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez is a criminal illegal alien from Mexico who SEXUALLY ASSAULTED a minor under 15. Gonzalez illegally entered the U.S. in 2001 and was… pic.twitter.com/mTV4GYarLM
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 13, 2026
Bis called on New Jersey sanctuary politicians to refuse to release the accused predator from jail into local neighborhoods. “This is the exact reason we need sanctuary jurisdictions to work with us,” she stated. “No one should want this sicko to be on our streets.” Federal records show Gonzalez first entered the United States illegally in 2001 before being returned to Mexico. He later crossed the border again at an unknown location and date, remaining in the country undetected for years.
Governor Sherrill’s Controversial ICE Policies
The case highlights growing tensions over Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill’s immigration enforcement policies. In January, Sherrill unveiled plans for a state website allowing residents to report ICE activities by uploading photos and videos. The Attorney General’s Office will use this information to track where federal officers make arrests. “If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out,” Sherrill told The Daily Show host Desi Lydic shortly after taking office.
Legal Battle Over State Access
Sherrill signed an executive order attempting to block federal agents from accessing jails, government offices, medical facilities, courthouses, public schools, social service offices, and childcare centers for immigration enforcement purposes. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against New Jersey over the order, comparing it to obstruction of law enforcement. DHS officials say state policies are designed to demonize ICE agents who protect communities from criminal aliens. The standoff represents a constitutional clash between federal immigration authority and state sanctuary protections that critics argue shield dangerous criminals from deportation.