ICE warns New Jersey officials not to release accused sex offender

A convicted illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in New Jersey could soon be released under the state’s protection policies, prompting federal immigration officials to issue a warning to local leaders.

Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez, a convicted illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office on charges of sexual assault on a victim between the ages of 13 and 15, criminal sexual contact, and sexual assault by force or coercion.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Gonzalez was deported back to Mexico after illegally entering the United States in 2001 and later re-entered the country at an unknown time.

“This pedophile should NEVER have been in our country and should have been able to prey on children in the first place,” Deputy Minister Lauren Bis said in a statement. “We call on sanctuary politicians in New Jersey not to release this predator accused of sexually assaulting a child from prison into New Jersey neighborhoods.”

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Bis continued: “This is exactly why we need sanctuary jurisdictions to work with us. No one should want these perverts on our streets.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requested that Gonzalez not be released under the state’s protection policies.

DHS said the request follows suggestions from New Jersey politicians for legislation and executive orders “designed to demonize our brave ICE law enforcement officers.”

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Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez was arrested in Ocean County on charges including sexual assault of a minor as Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration faces scrutiny over the state’s asylum policies. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images; DHS)

Last month, two members of the state’s Democratic legislature introduced the F—ICE Act, formally known as the “Combating Unlawful Conduct and Empowering Individuals and Communities Act.”

The legislation would allow civil lawsuits for alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution regarding immigration enforcement.

The bill was drafted after a Democratic Socialist councilman confronted a federal agent after arriving on scene for a raid on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System, and the agent told him, “I don’t need a permit, bro.”

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Shortly after taking office in January, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order 12 restricting some immigration enforcement activities on state property. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

“This is a disgusting bill that seeks to demonize our officers who have been subjected to a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement,” Bis previously told Fox News Digital.

Shortly after taking office in January, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on government property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement activities in their communities.

The Justice Department last month filed a lawsuit against New Jersey and Sherrill, accusing the state of expanding sanctuary policies and obstructing federal immigration enforcement through executive order.

DHS said the actions come at a time when law enforcement is facing a 1,300% increase in attacks and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Sherrill’s office and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.