ICE Arrests Foreign National Facing Sexual Assault Charges in Minnesota Operation
ST. PAUL, Minn. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have apprehended a foreign national accused of sexual assault, removing him from a Minnesota community as part of an ongoing enforcement effort.
The agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) confirmed the arrest of Candelario Texis-Gutierez, identified by authorities as a “criminal alien.” According to an official statement released by ICE, Texis-Gutierez was taken into custody in a Minnesota neighborhood. The operation targeted him specifically due to pending sexual assault charges, which place him within the agency’s priority enforcement categories.
Enforcement Context and Background
This arrest falls under the jurisdiction of the ICE ERO St. Paul field office, which oversees immigration enforcement operations across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. ICE officers frequently conduct “at-large” arrests—apprehensions made in the community rather than in a controlled jail setting—when local jurisdictions do not honor detainer requests or when targets are released from local custody before federal agents can intervene.
Under current federal guidelines, non-citizens with pending criminal charges or convictions for serious offenses, particularly those involving sexual violence or public safety threats, are prioritized for arrest and removal. The term “criminal alien” is utilized by the agency to classify non-citizens who have run afoul of criminal laws, independent of their immigration status violation.
Community Impact and Legal Perspectives
While federal authorities emphasize that removing individuals charged with violent crimes is essential for public safety, immigration advocates and legal experts often raise objections regarding the use of “at-large” operations. Critics argue that arrests conducted in residential neighborhoods can spread fear throughout immigrant communities, potentially discouraging victims and witnesses of other crimes from engaging with local law enforcement.
Furthermore, legal observers note the distinction between charges and convictions. While ICE has the authority to detain non-citizens based on probable cause of removability and public safety risks, the agency’s classification of individuals as “criminal” based on pending charges—before a court verdict—remains a point of contention in ongoing debates regarding due process for non-citizens.
Texis-Gutierez remains in federal custody pending removal proceedings. Authorities have not yet released specific details regarding the location of the detention facility or the timeline for his immigration hearings.
