U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have located and arrested a Haitian illegal immigrant who had been previously released on a $500 bond despite facing charges of raping a child in Massachusetts.
ICE had placed a detainer on the suspect, Cory Alvarez, but the local sheriff’s office disregarded it and released the 26-year-old on a low bail amount. A detainer is a request that authorities notify ICE about an individual who is potentially subject to deportation, so ICE can take them into federal custody for deportation.
Alvarez was arrested in a sanctuary city, leading to the detainer being ignored. ICE officers apprehended Alvarez in Boston on Monday, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News Digital.
“For months now, our office has repeatedly sought information from state and federal officials about specifics of the CHNV process in connection with the Alvarez case,” ICE stated. “We have received little to no answers. There is clearly a reason that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has paused the issuance of travel authorizations for new CHNV beneficiaries while it undertakes a comprehensive review of the process.”
Alvarez arrived in June under the parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV). This policy, first announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, allowed a limited number to fly directly into the U.S. provided they had not entered illegally, had a sponsor in the U.S., and passed specific checks.
In January 2023, the Biden administration expanded the program to include Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Cubans, allowing up to 30,000 individuals per month into the U.S. The program grants work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S., and was announced alongside the expansion of Title 42 expulsions to cover these nationalities.
Alvarez’s charges stem from a March incident where he was accused of r*ping a 15-year-old girl while staying at a migrant hotel in Massachusetts. His lawyer asserts his innocence regarding the charges.
“No injuries were found on the alleged victim. The video surveillance shows her entering the room and leaving eight minutes later, with her clothing undisturbed and passing by two members of the National Guard without comment,” said attorney Brian A. Kelley.
Kelley also noted that Alvarez’s bail conditions included home confinement and the surrender of his passport, both of which he complied with. He referenced a Massachusetts court ruling that determined there was no legal authority to hold an individual solely based on an ICE detainer.
