An illegal immigrant accused of burning a woman alive inside a New York subway car will remain in the US because of sanctuary city policies that prohibit him from being deported.  

Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, is facing murder and arson charges relating to the killing of Debrina Kawam, 57. 

Prosecutors say Zapeta-Calil set the New Jersey woman on fire on a stopped train at Brooklyn's Coney Island station on December 22.

He then fanned the flames with a shirt before sitting on platform bench and watching as Kawam burned, they allege.

Under current policies enacted in the Big Apple, the city's corrections department have refused to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for Zapeta-Calil. 

That decision was slammed by Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who was in NYC this week to meet with law enforcement. 

In a clip of her taken on the platform of the Coney Island stop, she said: 'ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the NYC Department of Corrections to take this depraved alien into custody 

'Because of current sanctuary city policy, the corrections department has indicated it will NOT honor the detainer.'

She added: 'This is disgusting. New York politicians are allowing the murder of their own citizens.

'Governor Hochul should impose an emergency suspension of sanctuary protection by executive order NOW.'

Sanctuary city laws ban local law enforcement from working with immigration authorities to hold migrants in custody until they can be processed for deportation proceedings. 

Zapeta-Calil's crime will be tried in the jurisdiction where it took place, but handing him over to ICE would make it easier for him to be booted from the US once any sentence is served.