A Haitian immigrant accused of the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Massachusetts was released from federal custody and placed on home confinement after posting a $500 bail last week, despite requests he be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The 26-year-old immigrant, Cory Alvarez, was allowed legal entry into the United States through the Biden administration's parole program that admits up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela each month, but he was charged with aggravated rape in March, according to Fox News.
ICE said a local branch of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) filed a detainer request against Alvarez in March, which would have resulted in Alvarez being placed in ICE custody, but it was not followed.
"On June 27, Plymouth Superior Court refused to honor ERO Boston’s immigration detainer and released Alvarez from custody on a $500 bond," ICE Boston ERO spokesperson James Covington told the outlet.
The name of the alleged victim has not been released, but the crime allegedly occurred at a hotel that was sheltering migrants.
Attorneys for Alvarez claimed the immigrant was released to home confinement after a three-part hearing that included the alleged victim's medical records, testimony from witnesses, and the review of surveillance footage.
"No injuries were found on the alleged victim," Alvarez's attorney Brian Kelley said. "The video surveillance depicts her going into the room and coming out eight minutes later, her clothing undisturbed and walking by two members of the National Guard without comment."
Kelley also said that as a condition of release Alvarez had to hand over his passport, and make the $500 bail, which he did.
Prosecutors had requested that bail be set at $25,000 instead of $500, according to the Boston Globe, but the court lowered the bail because of the home confinement and other stipulations.
Alvarez, who had no criminal history prior to his entry into the U.S. in 2023, has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated rape charge, and is expected back in court next month, the New York Post reported.
Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
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