Sanctuary city laws shield illegal immigrant accused of burning woman alive in NYC subway

• An illegal immigrant, Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, is accused of murdering a woman by setting her on fire while she slept on a NYC subway.
• NYC’s sanctuary policies prevent ICE from deporting Zapeta-Calil, despite an ICE detainer, sparking widespread outrage.
• Zapeta-Calil, previously deported, re-entered the U.S. illegally and was living in a Brooklyn shelter before the attack.
• Critics, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, condemn NYC’s sanctuary laws, calling for an emergency suspension of the policy.
• Former ICE Director Tom Homan vows federal authorities will ensure Zapeta-Calil is deported, despite sanctuary city obstacles.

In a shocking case that has reignited the debate over sanctuary city policies, an illegal immigrant charged with setting a woman on fire as she slept on a New York City subway is being shielded from deportation by local laws.

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old Guatemalan national, is accused of murdering 57-year-old Debrina Kawam in a horrific December 22 attack at Brooklyn’s Coney Island station. Despite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer, New York City’s sanctuary policies have prevented federal authorities from taking custody of Zapeta-Calil, sparking outrage among law enforcement officials and critics of the city’s approach to immigration enforcement.

A gruesome crime

Prosecutors allege that Zapeta-Calil set Kawam ablaze while she slept on a subway car, then fanned the flames with a shirt to intensify the fire before calmly watching the scene from a platform bench. Kawam, a New Jersey resident, succumbed to her injuries, leaving her family and community devastated. Surveillance footage captured the chilling aftermath, showing an NYPD officer walking past the burning victim as Zapeta-Calil observed from a distance.

Zapeta-Calil, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, was previously deported but re-entered the country and had been living in a Brooklyn shelter while working as a roofer. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and arson, but his case has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about illegal immigration and public safety.

Sanctuary policies under fire

New York City’s sanctuary laws prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, meaning the Department of Corrections has refused to honor ICE’s detainer for Zapeta-Calil. This has drawn sharp criticism from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who called the policy “disgusting” and urged New York Governor Kathy Hochul to suspend sanctuary protections immediately.

“New York politicians are allowing the murder of their own citizens,” Noem said during a visit to the city. “Governor Hochul should impose an emergency suspension of sanctuary protection by executive order NOW.”

Mayor Eric Adams has also called for greater collaboration between the NYPD and ICE, requesting federal prosecutors to charge Zapeta-Calil in addition to state charges. “Lighting another human being on fire and watching them burn alive reflects a level of evil that cannot be tolerated,” Adams said in a statement.

Homan vows justice

Former ICE Director Tom Homan, now serving as a border czar, has vowed that federal authorities will not let Zapeta-Calil evade deportation. “He’s not gonna get away,” Homan said during an interview with Fox News. “If we have to sit outside that jail every day, 24/7, we’ll get our hands on him.”

Homan emphasized that sanctuary cities like New York make it harder for ICE to enforce immigration laws but insisted that federal agents remain committed to removing dangerous individuals from the country. “New York City, or any other sanctuary city, is not gonna stop ICE from keeping President Trump’s promise to eradicate every criminal illegal alien, every public threat illegal alien, every national security threat illegal alien from this country,” he said.

The case has become emblematic of the broader tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local sanctuary policies that endanger public safety by shielding violent criminals from deportation. As Zapeta-Calil awaits trial, his case serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of failed immigration policies. For Debrina Kawam’s family and countless others, the hope is that justice will prevail—and that no more lives will be lost to preventable tragedies.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

DailyMail.co.uk

NYPost.com