Lengthy criminal history makes undocumented immigrant the target of President Trump's increased enforcement
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The federal government laid out the lengthy criminal history that helped make an undocumented immigrant in Ithaca the target of President Donald Trump's increased enforcement.
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Jesus Romero-Hernandez has been accused of at least nine misdemeanors, two felonies, and multiple arrest warrants, Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks counted aloud in federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Among the charges were at least three different arrests related to family violence, along with battery and assault in Georgia in 2020.
Then, at an unknown time, he moved to Tompkins County, including living at the homeless encampment in Ithaca nicknamed 'The Jungle.'
While in Tompkins County, Romero-Hernandez was arrested at least three times. In March of 2022, federal prosecutors say he destroyed the inside of a hotel room in Lansing. In September of 2023, he's accused of putting a police officer in a 'chokehold.' Then, in November of 2023, he admitted to biting the finger of a corrections officer with his jaw locking down before punching the officer.
It was the most recent assault of an officer that had Romero-Hernandez serving a sentence that expired last week, when the Tompkins County Sheriff allowed him to leave jail.
The federal government has since accused the sheriff of refusing 'to honor a federal warrant.'
After he was out free, ICE then arrested Romero-Hernandez.
Judge Dancks ruled to keep the immigrant in jail for the duration of his federal case. He's charged with illegally reentering the United States.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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