Newsom urged not to release suspect in San Francisco hospital stabbing
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A man has died following a brutal stabbing at a San Francisco hospital that federal immigration officials are now directly pointing to California’s sanctuary policies and the Biden administration’s border decisions as contributing factors.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is urging Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials not to release the suspect, a Venezuelan citizen who was previously encountered and released by Border Patrol and is in the country illegally.
Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi is accused of fatally stabbing 51-year-old Alberto Rangel at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on December 4. Rangel died from his injuries two days later, on December 6.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE has already filed a detainer request to keep Tortolero-Arriechi in custody; That demand now hangs in the balance in a state that has repeatedly clashed with federal immigration enforcement.
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Alberto Rangel, 51, died after being stabbed at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on December 4, 2025. (Department of Homeland Security)
Acting Deputy Minister Lauren Bis said in a statement that directly linked the murder to federal immigration policy: “If it weren’t for the Biden administration’s reckless open border policies, Alberto Rangel would still be alive.” he said. He also called on Newsom to ensure the suspect is not released, blasting sanctuary policies that he said “put American lives at risk.”
The suspect allegedly exhibited alarming behavior in the weeks before the attack and threatened hospital staff and his own doctor before the fatal stabbing occurred.
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Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi, a Venezuelan citizen living in the United States illegally, is accused of fatally stabbing Alberto Rangel at a San Francisco hospital. (Department of Homeland Security)
Tortolero-Arriechi was first encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023 and then released into the country, federal officials said. The lawsuit adds new fuel to the fight over California’s sanctuary policies.
Earlier this year, ICE announced that more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants, including people accused or convicted of serious crimes such as murder, sexual assault and drug trafficking, were currently detained with active detainees across California.
Despite this, authorities say thousands of people have been released.
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Since January 2026 alone, California jurisdictions have refused to honor ICE detainees in more than 4,500 cases, according to the agency. ICE said those releases included people linked to dozens of murders, hundreds of assaults and other violent and drug-related crimes.
Federal officials’ latest move builds on earlier warnings. In February, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta urging him to “put the safety of Americans first” by honoring detainees of more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants in state custody.
Warning that “no community that is serious about keeping its residents safe will tolerate a blatant subversion of the law,” Lyons pressed California officials to cooperate with ICE and “remove the worst of the worst from the streets.”
Meanwhile, the death of Alberto Rangel is now used by federal officials to argue that these policies have real-world consequences.
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California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is being criticized by angelic mother Agnes Gibboney (far right), whose son Ronald da Silva was killed by an illegal immigrant gang member in 2002. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; White House)
Newsom’s office pushed back on that characterization, saying the state’s approach prioritizes accountability and public safety.
“If someone commits a serious crime, they should be held accountable in our justice system,” a spokesperson from Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital. “Allowing someone to evade responsibility by deportation undermines the rule of law and completely disrespects the victims harmed by this crime. Our focus must always be on ensuring that those who commit acts of violence face consequences here.”
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A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital on January 20, 2026, that an illegal felon allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon to hit law enforcement in Compton, California, in an attempt to evade arrest. (KTTV)
The governor’s office also noted that California has cooperated with federal immigration authorities in certain cases, noting that the state has coordinated the transfer of more than 12,000 people to ICE custody since 2019, including those convicted of serious and violent crimes.
Officials added that state law allows coordination with ICE for people convicted of serious crimes or facing credible charges and that California does not interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
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They also alleged that ICE fails to take one in eight people released from state prisons and held on immigration grounds, arguing that federal authorities do not always take custody of individuals when detainers are issued.
Tortolero-Arriechi remains in custody at the San Francisco County Jail, where he faces murder and weapons charges, as pressure mounts on whether California leaders will comply with federal demands to keep him there.
“Our hearts go out to Alberto Rangel’s family, friends and co-workers,” SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Riko Mendez said in a statement following his death in December 2025, remembering him as a dedicated social worker.
