ICE Lodges Detainer Against Attempted Murder Suspect Found Naked Following Brutal Charlotte Park Stabbing
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have formally requested that Mecklenburg County authorities turn over custody of a Mexican national charged with the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend. The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jamie Iram Gamez Cadena, was taken into custody on February 1 after being discovered naked and suffering from hypothermia in a snowy park following the alleged assault.
Incident Details and “Deep Search” Findings
According to police reports and court documents, the violent encounter occurred at E.B. Arrowood Park in southwest Charlotte. Gamez Cadena allegedly arranged to meet the victim under the pretense of repaying a monetary debt. Shortly after the meeting began, the situation escalated violently. Investigators state that Gamez Cadena produced a utility blade and began slashing the woman, inflicting severe lacerations to her face and neck.
The victim managed to escape the immediate vicinity and flag down a passing motorist for assistance. When officers arrived at the scene to search for the assailant, they located Gamez Cadena in a wooded area of the park. He had removed all his clothing, a phenomenon often associated with severe hypothermia known as “paradoxical undressing,” and was lying in the snow. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment before being booked into the Mecklenburg County Detention Center.
Gamez Cadena faces multiple felony charges, including attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and kidnapping.
Immigration Context and Federal Involvement
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has confirmed that Gamez Cadena is a citizen of Mexico who is present in the United States unlawfully. Following his arrest, federal authorities lodged an immigration detainer with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
An immigration detainer is a notice from DHS to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies informing them that ICE intends to assume custody of an individual to pursue removal proceedings. ICE is urging local officials to honor this request to ensure the suspect remains in custody for deportation proceedings should he be released from local criminal custody.
Local Policy Objections and Background
The issuance of the detainer has reignited ongoing tensions between federal immigration authorities and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Garry McFadden, who took office in 2018, campaigned on and subsequently enacted a policy ending the county’s participation in the 287(g) program. This voluntary program previously authorized deputies to perform certain immigration enforcement functions.
Under current MCSO policy, the jail does not honor civil immigration detainers without a judicial warrant signed by a judge or magistrate. The Sheriff’s Office has historically argued that enforcing federal civil immigration law is not the responsibility of local law enforcement and that doing so erodes trust within the immigrant community, making victims and witnesses less likely to cooperate with police.
Critics of the Sheriff’s policy, including ICE officials, argue that ignoring detainers poses a significant public safety risk. They contend that releasing individuals charged with violent crimes back into the community, rather than transferring them to federal custody, endangers the public and forces ICE agents to conduct more dangerous at-large arrests in neighborhoods.
As of this report, Gamez Cadena remains in custody at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bond. It remains unclear if the Sheriff’s Office will make an exception to its policy given the severity of the charges, or if the standard protocol regarding warrantless detainers will be maintained.
