ICE jailbreak fugitive tried to surrender but New Jersey police let him go
🚨 Migrant escaped from ICE detention facility
🚨 State attorney general says State Police were told to arrest him
🚨 $25,000 reward offered for last escapee on the loose
BRIDGETON — One of the four escapees from Delaney Hall attempted to turn himself in to the New Jersey State Police last week but was turned away, according to federal authorities.
On June 12, Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada and three others broke out of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Castaneda, a man from Colombia, entered the United States illegally in 2022, authorities said.
He was arrested on May 15, 2025, on charges including burglary, theft, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
One day after his recent escape, Castaneda tried to turn himself in to the New Jersey State Police at the station in Bridgeton.
However, DHS officials say State Police declined to arrest him and turned him away because of New Jersey's sanctuary state policies that forbid them to work with ICE.
On June 14, Castaneda tried again to turn himself in to authorities. This time, he gave himself up to FBI and ICE agents in Millville.
Sanctuary state policy confusion for New Jersey police?
The policy that typically prevents New Jersey police from cooperating with ICE is the Immigrant Trust Directive. It was issued by Gov. Murphy in 2018.
But Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the directive doesn't stop law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities when investigating criminal offenses.
"In the wake of the incidents that took place at ICE’s Delaney Hall, my office issued express guidance to the State law enforcement community reiterating that officers should detain any of the four wanted individuals in connection with the federal criminal investigation into their escape from the facility," Platkin said.
On June 13, the Attorney General's Office sent an email to law enforcement throughout the state instructing them to arrest the escapees, according to OAG spokesperson Sharon Lauchaire.
New Jersey 101.5 obtained a copy of an email, which is below.
"Please be advised that four detainees on civil immigration holds escaped Delaney Hall in Newark last night (BOLO attached). There is a pending federal criminal investigation related to the escape, as such law enforcement can temporarily detain any of these individuals as part of the ongoing federal criminal investigation. Notification of the detention should follow normal BOLO processes," the email said.
The details of what happened when Castaneda went to the State Police station in Bridgeton or why he was not arrested remain unclear.
State Police did not respond to a request for comment from New Jersey 101.5.
One Delaney Hall escapee still not caught
More than a week after the escapes at Delaney Hall, one migrant remains on the loose.
Andres Felipe Pineda Mogollon is from Colombia but has an address in Newark, according to DHS officials. He also has ties to Queens.
Mogollon was previously arrested on charges of petty larceny and residential burglary, according to the FBI.
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information that directly leads to his arrest.
Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom
PHOTOS: Trump's military parade rolls through Washington, D.C.
Gallery Credit: The Associated Press
LOOK: Every Kid Wanted to Go to These Famous TV and Movie Locations
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
