Arizona State Troopers Release 17 Illegal Aliens After ICE Declines to Take Custody

State troopers respond to a traffic stop in which 17 illegal aliens were discovered in a vehicle driven by a U.S. citizen on the outskirts of Phoenix, Ariz., on April 16, 2021. AZDPS

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said state troopers were forced to release 17 illegal aliens after Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) both declined to take them into custody.

A state trooper initiated a traffic stop early on April 16 and discovered the 17 illegal aliens in the vehicle, the Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) wrote on Twitter. The driver was a U.S. citizen.