Police departments throughout the U.S. are complicating federal-level operations to locate and deport criminal illegal immigrants. The confusion is causing immigration officials to scramble to track these people down.

Over the last nine months, 275 counties have refused requests to notify the Immigration and Customs Enforcement before releasing an illegal immigrant from their custody. By letting these individuals go without notifying ICE, these police forces have released around 9,000 people with criminal records who would normally be deported out of the U.S.

The "detainer requests" as their called, used to be more regularly approved by local jurisdictions. However, now the very same counties that before would acknowledge these requests are now fearful of having to back down to more lenient immigration policies in certain areas or being sued for holding the wrong person.

The individuals being released back on the streets include murder suspects, drug traffickers, firearms offenders or known gang members, according to ICE Field Supervisory Agent David Marin.

"Statistics show of these convicted felons, 75 percent of them are going to reoffend," Marin said to FOX News. "So if we can get them in the jails before they get an opportunity to reoffend and create more victims, for us it is a win-win situation. By law enforcement agencies not honoring our detainers, it really undermines our authority and our mission, which is to go out and protect the public."

In places like southern California, nearly every police agency refuses ICE requests to turnover criminal illegal immigrants for removal. Once released, these individuals are often hard to find again because many do not have a local address.

"If the administration is serious about enforcing the law and expediting deportations, it will hold sanctuary cities accountable and end the catch-and-release practices that undermine our immigration laws," House Representative from Texas Lamar Smith said of the Obama's administration being too loose with these cities.