#EXCLUSIVE#: @DHSgov says they’re looking for a convicted violent felon after Illinois authorities released him back into the community despite an @ICEgov detainer. Shageldi Bashimov, a citizen of Turkmenistan, is currently a target for the agency—DHS says he was convicted of aggravated battery with use of a deadly weapon and sentenced to two years in prison in Chicago. ICE lodged a detainer on May 28th seeking to take him into immigration custody. DHS says Illinois authorities declined to honor that request and released him without notifying ICE. Bashimov entered the U.S. legally in March 2024 but overstayed his permitted time, according to the department. @SecMullinDHS is calling on Illinois and other sanctuary states to change their policies saying, “These reckless sanctuary policies are only going to endanger more innocent Americans…”

NEW: @ICEgov is disputing claims that its officers separated a Honduran mother from her two children at a restaurant—saying she was taken into federal custody directly from the Harris County Jail, and the field office director is weighing in. The agency says Julia Marisol Ortiz Zelaya, 38, was arrested by @houstonpolice Sept. 20th for allegedly fighting at a bar and possessing cocaine, then transferred to ICE two days later. ICE says the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice and LULAC promoted the restaurant account during an Oct. 20th news conference declaring an immigration enforcement “state of emergency.” In an exclusive statement to @NewsNation, @EROHouston Field Office Director Bret Bradford saying, “This so called ‘state of emergency’ on immigration enforcement was based on a complete lie that neither the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice or LULAC bothered to check before holding a press conference to defame the hardworking men and women of ICE. It’s sad that the media, which used to be a force for the good of the people, have become so openly political that they would eschew their journalistic obligation to check the veracity of their sources before attacking our brave law enforcement officers. Had they performed even the most basic background check they would have been alerted to the fact that she was separated from her kids by local law enforcement after she was found fighting at a local bar with cocaine in her possession. What needs to be looked into now is why Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who has gone out of the way to attack ICE and investigate our officers, was so quick to drop the charges in a slam dunk case like this given she was facing felony criminal charges.”   ICE says Ortiz Zelaya has a deportation order and remains in custody pending removal.

ICYMI: @DHSgov is putting immigration lawyers on notice over asylum filings. @DHSGenCounsel James Percival sent a letter to the American Immigration Lawyers Association warning against what the department considers meritless asylum claims—pointing to nearly 3.5 million pending immigration cases, including 2.3 million asylum claims, as of July. Percival argues many claims involving generalized gang violence, crime, domestic abuse, economic hardship or instability do not meet the legal threshold for asylum—and says meritless cases are clogging the system and delaying those with potentially valid claims. Percival this week: “Most countries in the Western Hemisphere simply lack conditions supporting asylum claims. Abuse of our immigration system must stop.” The message to immigration attorneys: DHS intends to scrutinize asylum filings and pursue remedies when it determines claims cross the line into frivolous or fraudulent filings.