NYC Sanctuary Politicians Refuse To Turn Over Illegal Alien Charged With Arson That K*lled a 3-Year-Old

A 3-year-old girl. A 49-year-old man. A 61-year-old woman. A 64-year-old man who jumped from a window to escape the flames and died at the hospital.

Four innocent people are dead because an illegal alien from Mexico allegedly set fire to a Flushing, Queens apartment building on March 16, and New York City’s sanctuary politicians are now refusing to hand him over to ICE.

Let that sink in for a second.

Roman Ceron Amatitla, 38, faces eight counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson. According to the Queens District Attorney, Amatitla had no connection to the building or anyone in it. He entered and exited multiple times, went to a nearby gas station, stole a beer, grabbed a pack of matches, walked back in, lit a piece of paper on fire, tossed it onto garbage near the stairwell. He then reportedly sat outside and drank while the building burned.

The New York Post reported on the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities:

NYC officials refuse ICE hold for illegal immigrant accused in arson that killed 4 and injured 7: DHS https://t.co/VBEIZfVMoP pic.twitter.com/a8ThWb5OBO

— New York Post (@nypost) April 17, 2026

Fox News broke the exclusive details:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested that the New York City Department of Corrections not release Roman Ceron Amatitla, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who is facing charges for murder and arson in Queens County, New York.

NYCDOC has stated they WILL NOT cooperate with ICE and WILL RELEASE the illegal alien from jail back onto the streets of New York without communicating with ICE.

DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that New York City sanctuary politicians “REFUSE to cooperate with ICE and are choosing to RELEASE this MURDERER onto New York streets.”

Think about what’s happening here. A man allegedly murdered four people, including a toddler, by lighting a building on fire. Federal authorities asked the city to hold him. And the city said no.

Not because they think he’s innocent. Not because of some legal technicality. Because of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sanctuary executive order, designed specifically to prevent the city from cooperating with ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security went scorched earth on the city’s decision:

This monster set fire to a building and watched as innocent people, including a three-year-old, burned to death.

New York City sanctuary politicians REFUSE to cooperate with ICE and are committing to RELEASING this MURDERER onto New York streets.

New York’s sanctuary… https://t.co/3jQwPSn9Qu

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 17, 2026

According to DHS, New York’s refusal to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of nearly 7,000 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes allegedly committed by those individuals include 29 homicides, over 2,500 assaults, 305 robberies, and 207 sexual offenses.

CBS New York reported the chilling details of the fire itself:

According to prosecutors, Amatitla had no apparent connection to the building or residents. Surveillance video showed him entering and exiting the building multiple times.

He allegedly went to a nearby gas station where he shoplifted a beer and purchased matches. Upon returning to the building, he allegedly lit a piece of paper on fire and placed it in the garbage at the bottom of the first-floor stairwell.

Three victims died from smoke inhalation. Hong Zhao, 64, jumped from a window and died from fall injuries. Two firefighters were hospitalized when the building’s second floor collapsed.

Queens DA Melinda Katz called it what it is: an act of mass murder.

And Mayor Mamdani’s New York City is protecting the man accused of doing it from federal immigration authorities.

At some point, these sanctuary politicians need to answer a very simple question: whose side are you on?

How would you respond?