ICE Boston arrests Guatemalan national charged with child rape who was released back into community by court
An accused child rapist illegally in the U.S. was recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Boston, the agency announced on Thursday.
ICE Boston said Stivenson Omar Perez-Ajtzalan, 19, was arrested on Jan. 30 for aggravated rape of a child in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The victim is said to be more than 10 years younger than Perez, who is a Guatemalan national.
He was arraigned on the felony charges in Lawrence District Court on Dec. 20, 2024.
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ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said Perez not only displayed a "blatant disregard" for America's immigration laws, but he also sexually assaulted a child.
"He came to this country to do harm, and now he must be made to face the consequences of his actions. ICE Boston will remain dedicated to our mission of protecting public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from New England," Hyde said.
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Perez was allegedly released back into the community by the court, who did not inform ICE of his release, according to Fox News' Bill Melugin. ICE was also unable to file a detainer because the court released him so quickly.
"Massachusetts continues to be the only state I've seen in my coverage that frequently releases aliens not only charged with child rape, but aggravated child rape, without any notice to ICE," Melugin said.
Perez was given a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge after his arrest and he was placed into removal proceedings, according to ICE Boston. He remains in ICE custody.
Massachusetts has made headlines since President Donald Trump was elected for acting in defiance of his administration's immigration crackdown.
Gov. Maura Healey said in November that her state police will "absolutely not" be cooperating with mass deportation efforts and warned that she will use "every tool in the toolbox" to "protect" residents of her state.
Healey changed her tune in January, noting that her state is not a sanctuary state, despite a 2017 ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court that severely limits law enforcement cooperation with ICE.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.