The city of Chicago is defending its decision to release from custody an illegal immigrant who is a previously deported aggravated felon and who allegedly went on to commit another crime.
Christopher Puente, 34, of Mexico was released by Chicago authorities due to the city’s sanctuary status in 2019 despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement telling them to hold the illegal immigrant after he was arrested for theft. After the detainer request was not honored, Puente was again arrested in early February, this time for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl in a McDonald’s bathroom.
Chicago law enforcement and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are sticking by the decision not to cooperate with ICE.
“The Chicago Police Department remains committed to protecting all Chicago residents regardless of their immigration status,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement. “Our pledge to restrict ICE access to our information systems and our refusal to cooperate with ICE immigration enforcement measures has not changed.”
Lightfoot also weighed in, saying, “If ICE is complaining, then they should do their job better.”
Puente, who is homeless and has hearing loss, is now facing a charge of predatory criminal sexual assault.
“The victim called out ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said at a bond hearing last month, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The girl’s father was in the next stall with the toddler’s brother when the attack happened. Puente lured the girl into the stall with him, and the father saw her legs dangling and heard her cries but couldn’t pull open the locked door. Eventually, he managed to pull his daughter out from under the door and dashed to get both of his children back to their mother. Puente then disappeared from the McDonald’s.
Puente — who has been deported at least once and has previously been convicted of burglary, forgery, trespassing, and domestic battery — was arrested the next day, however, for trespassing in a parking garage and was subsequently identified as also being the toddler’s attacker, police said.
“[Puente] said he was f—ed up and thinking dirty,” Murphy said. “He said he was paranoid and looking around as he left the bathroom because he knew what he did was wrong.”
A judge ordered Puente to be held without bail.
“You don’t understand. This is my first time,” Puente signed in court, reportedly confused with the judge’s order.
Robert Guadian, field office director of Chicago enforcement and removal operations, said, “How many more victims must there be before lawmakers realize that sanctuary policies do not protect the innocent? Puente should have been in ICE custody last year and removed to his home country. Instead, irresponsible lawmaking allowed him to walk free and prey on our most vulnerable.”
