A convicted child molester and Venezuelan national in the country illegally could soon be released unless Seattle abandons its sanctuary-city approach and cooperates with federal immigration authorities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer request for Leomar Alexander Lopez Zambrano, asking Seattle officials to transfer him to federal custody instead of releasing him after he completes his prison sentence.
The dispute highlights the continuing conflict between the Department of Homeland Security and Seattle, as President Donald Trump’s immigration officials clash with leaders of sanctuary jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal enforcement agencies.
The case also comes as the results of Tuesday’s elections place renewed attention on ICE, one of the most controversial agencies of Trump’s second term, while raising questions about whether administration officials could face increased scrutiny from a newly empowered Democratic Congress.
“Sanctuary politicians in Washington are refusing to honor the ICE detainer and hand this disgusting criminal over to us after he finishes his prison sentence,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
“This illegal alien has been convicted on TWO counts of child molestation.”
Following the 2026 midterm elections, the situation in Seattle is fueling fresh debate over whether sanctuary cities will become more aggressive in resisting the Trump administration’s immigration policies as Democrats prepare to regain control of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Hans von Spakovsky, an immigration policy expert with Advancing American Freedom, said the changing political landscape in Washington could encourage Democratic-led cities to intensify their resistance to federal immigration enforcement and further restrict cooperation with federal officials.
“I have no doubt that sanctuary jurisdictions will feel emboldened,” Spakovsky told Fox News Digital in the days following what he described as a major Republican defeat.
“I also would not put it past [Democrats] to try to impeach Tom Homan for imagined wrongs because he has been the most effective czar of immigration enforcement of any administration in the past 50 years,” he said.
“I don’t think they would be successful, but, again, that will embolden defiance of federal immigration enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Sanctuary jurisdictions often restrict or end direct communication with federal law enforcement, and DHS officials fear that Seattle could take that approach in Zambrano’s case.
Zambrano is nearing the end of a 15-month prison sentence, after which he would ordinarily be placed into deportation proceedings. Mullin said that without cooperation from Seattle, DHS may not know when the Venezuelan national is released from custody.
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“Sanctuary politicians care so much about illegal aliens that they’d rather release a convicted child molester than cooperate with federal law enforcement,” Mullin said.
In response to questions about Seattle’s relationship with DHS, the agency stressed the importance of coordination between local and federal authorities.
“The safest way to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets is by lodging arrest detainers. Because some sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to work with ICE law enforcement, criminal illegal aliens are released from jails into American communities to perpetuate more crimes. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE,” the agency said in a statement.
Some Republicans believe the same conflict could surface in other parts of the country after the election, including traditionally conservative states such as Texas.
Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator and podcast host, pointed to Texas’ newly elected Democratic governor, Gina Hinojosa, who voted against restrictions on sanctuary cities while serving as a state legislator in 2017.
“Folks, Texas shares a border with Mexico. Do we need to ChatGPT this for people?” Bongino said on a recent podcast. “The only message [voters] are sending is you want your state to become a sanctuary, sitting on the border with Mexico for illegals who come into the United States.”
Spakovsky said local opposition to immigration enforcement could unfold alongside efforts by congressional Democrats to limit federal resources. He predicted Democrats would use the appropriations process to target immigration enforcement funding, though he questioned whether those efforts would succeed.
“Democrats will, no doubt, try to stop DHS from immigration enforcement and DOJ from prosecutions in the immigration area by trying to use the appropriations process to defund such enforcement at both agencies,” Spakovsky said.
“I am not sure they will be successful … especially if they tie such punitive measures with must-pass government funding that the president signs.”
Asked whether DHS expected sanctuary cities to take a more defiant stance after Democrats regain influence in Washington, the department referred Fox News Digital to a statement from Mullin.
“Deportations will continue,” the DHS secretary said.
Seattle officials did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment regarding Zambrano’s case.
