CBP senior advisor Ron Vitiello urges end to sanctuary policies after fatal New Jersey crash

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection senior advisor criticized sanctuary policies and urged local cooperation with federal immigration authorities after a television host described a fatal New Jersey crash in which, the host said, a Mexican national allegedly driving while intoxicated killed a mother and her daughter.

Ron Vitiello, introduced on air as a senior advisor at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, offered condolences to the victims’ family and described the crash as "a typically preventable crime." "It's very unfortunate. Our hearts go out to this family," Vitiello said.

The host recounted the suspect's prior encounters with law enforcement, saying the man had '2 DUI arrests this year alone' and listing an April DUI arrest (released), a March DUI arrest (released) and a June 2023 domestic-violence arrest (released). The host also said local authorities repeatedly released the suspect without notifying immigration officials and described the incident as occurring in "another sanctuary state," naming New Jersey.

Vitiello described a process by which local jails or sheriff's offices can contact ICE enforcement removal operations to request that a noncitizen in custody be transferred to federal immigration authorities. "It is a very simple process for the local jurisdiction, the sheriff's office, the city jail to pick up the phone and call ICE enforcement removal operations," he said, adding that ICE "would come very carefully, take them from the jail setting, and put them on a path for removal."

Vitiello called sanctuary policies "a destructive policy for the people who live in those jurisdictions" and said "it needs to end," arguing that federal law should take precedence so that jurisdictions "turn these people over to immigration enforcement" and reduce community risk.

The interview focused on enforcement and policy implications; no law-enforcement officials or local prosecutors appeared on the segment to confirm the host's account of the suspect's arrests, release history or whether ICE received notification in those cases. The crash, the suspect's charges and any immigration proceedings were described on air as alleged and were not adjudicated in the interview.

No formal motions, votes or official actions were discussed on the program. The segment centered on the policy debate over cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities and the public-safety framing offered by Vitiello.