The former sheriff of San Francisco, California, released more than 2,400 criminal illegal aliens back into United States communities during her tenure, a lawsuit alleges.

In a lawsuit against former San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, who was in office from January 2016 to January 2020, the watchdog group Judicial Watch alleges that the law enforcement office built an extremely rigid sanctuary policy to shield criminal illegal aliens from arrest and deportation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Hennessy, according to the lawsuit, released 2,401 criminal illegal aliens back into the neighboring communities rather than turning them over to ICE agents for arrest and deportation. The lawsuit alleges:

The policy is so effective in regulating immigration and obstructing Congress’ purposes under federal immigration law that, in over 2,401 known instances, it has never resulted in ICE taking into custody a single alien, not even aliens with significant criminal backgrounds wanted for removal.

Over the four-year period, Hennessy’s office only notified ICE agents in three criminal illegal alien cases, according to the lawsuit. In a release by Judicial Watch, expert testimony reveals specific cases in which Hennessy’s office released criminal illegal aliens in their custody:

  • A citizen of Cuba faced charges for burglary and a parole violation, with a prior burglary conviction.
  • A citizen of Vietnam faced charges for robbery, battery, and assault.
  • A citizen of Ethiopia was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a peace officer, receiving stolen property, a parole violation, and had prior convictions for stolen property crimes.
  • A citizen of Mexico had a long list of current and prior offenses, including convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, felony assault, false imprisonment, burglary, vehicle theft, and probation violations, including one revocation of probation. This individual appeared to have been arrested at least nine times between January 2015 and March 2020.
  • A citizen of Honduras was facing instant charges of burglary.  His 5-page rap sheet included prior convictions on felonies such as burglary while in possession of a concealed, loaded firearm, giving false information to an officer, child endangerment, theft, domestic violence, robbery, assault, and violating a restraining order.
  • Another citizen of Mexico was facing instant charges of robbery, domestic violence and assault and also was the subject of an ICE detainer and warrant of arrest after a biometric match with DHS records. The alien had three recent, separate, prior felony convictions: two for auto theft and one for burglary, which had occurred over a 15-month period ending two and one-half years prior to the instant offense.
  • A citizen of Ukraine was arrested and held to answer for a felony burglary charge, along with false imprisonment, receiving stolen property, threatening an officer, and a firearms charge. Two years prior, he was convicted on a robbery charge, among other offense.
  • Another citizen of Mexico was held to answer on felony burglary charges, false imprisonment, and adult kidnapping charges. The alien had prior burglary convictions, one occurring one year prior to the instant charge, and another occurring four years prior, for which he was sentenced to 364 days plus probation.
  • A citizen of Cambodia was facing instant charges for assault with a deadly weapon, murder, and a loaded firearm violation.

“Judicial Watch’s taxpayer lawsuit shows that the San Francisco Sheriff’s sanctuary policy is not only unlawful but is a clear and present danger to the public safety,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.

The lawsuit comes as recent investigations have shown the extent to which sanctuary politicians will go to shield criminal illegal aliens from ICE arrest and deportation.

A recent report by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) found that district attorneys such as Diana Becton in Contra Costa County, California — all funded by billionaire George Soros — have set policies that seek to reduce immigration consequences for convicted criminals.

In October 2019, federal officials revealed that law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles, California, released about 100 criminal illegal aliens every day back into neighboring communities.

The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Francisco. The case number is CGC-16-556164.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.