HARTFORD—House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora today released the following statement in response to the arrest of Christian Maximo Castaneda Negrete by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston, which reported their Dec. 3 capture of the Peruvian citizen who faces a sexual assault charge levied by Hartford Police on Nov. 20: "Connecticut isn’t immune from the national crisis of dangerous illegal immigrant criminals embedding themselves in our communities. Even more troubling, our state has cultivated a toxic alliance between state officials and sanctuary city mayors—all Democrats—who champion open-border policies. They actively resist commonsense reforms to fix our broken immigration system while broadcasting a dangerous message: Connecticut is a safe haven for those who enter this country illegally. The recent sex assault charge brought against this individual, apprehended by ICE, is deeply concerning. Let this case be a wake-up call and a turning point for real change in our state." Read the ICE news release here.