Mexican National Sentenced to 30 Years in Wisconsin for Sexual Assault and Burglary as ICE Lodges Detainer
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported the sentencing of Jacinto Perez-Resendiz, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, to 30 years of confinement and supervision in Wisconsin. The sentencing follows a conviction for multiple violent offenses, including second-degree sexual assault and burglary.
According to the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago field office, the charges against Perez-Resendiz included sexual assault, burglary, two counts of battery, and trespassing. Following his arrest, ERO Chicago lodged an immigration detainer with the local jail. An immigration detainer is a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable non-citizen is released from criminal custody. This ensures that the individual can be transferred directly to ICE custody for removal proceedings upon the completion of their criminal sentence.
In this instance, Perez-Resendiz will serve his sentence within the Wisconsin state prison system. Under federal law, non-citizens convicted of aggravated felonies are generally subject to mandatory deportation. Once his state incarceration is concluded, or if he is granted early parole, custody is expected to be transferred to federal immigration authorities to initiate the removal process back to Mexico.
While ICE frames such publicized arrests as essential for national security and public safety, the agency’s communication strategy faces significant objections from civil rights organizations and immigration advocates. Critics argue that highlighting specific, violent cases involving undocumented individuals is a tactic designed to amplify fear and justify hardline enforcement policies that often impact non-violent immigrant communities. Advocacy groups frequently point to criminological data indicating that immigrants, regardless of legal status, have lower incarceration rates compared to native-born U.S. citizens, arguing that individual outliers should not drive broader immigration policy.
Furthermore, the case highlights the ongoing tension regarding cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. While some jurisdictions maintain “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with ICE detainers to encourage community trust, Wisconsin law enforcement agencies generally cooperate with federal requests regarding violent offenders. Perez-Resendiz remains in state custody as he begins his 30-year sentence.
