Sanctuary County Ignores ICE Detainer Request, Releases Alleged Rapist Back into the Public

A Maryland detention center ignored a detainer request by ICE and released an alleged rapist from custody, the latest run-in between federal immigration authorities and the county since it enacted a “sanctuary city” executive order.

Rodrigo Castro-Montejo, a 25-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested by local authorities in Montgomery County, Maryland on Aug. 10 and charged with second-degree rape and second-degree assault. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer request on him on August 12 because Castro-Montejo is living in the U.S. illegally, an agency spokeswoman told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

However, the Montgomery County Detention Center ignored the request and released him the following day. {snip}

The executive order forbids police from asking people about their immigration status, and it also prohibits them from cooperating with federal immigration authorities under most circumstances. The order, known formally as “The Promoting Community Trust Executive Order,” builds on sanctuary policies already established in the county.

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However, the release of Castro-Montejo, an illegal alien accused of rape, has brought renewed scrutiny by immigration authorities over how Montgomery officials execute their sanctuary policies.

The Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) received a detainer order from ICE on Aug. 12, 2019, for Rodrigo A. Castro-Montejo, “a suspect accused of rape,” read a Montgomery County statement provided to the DCNF. “At 12 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2019, DOCR contacted ICE via telephone — using a number to a local ICE supervisor provided by that agency for notification purposes — in order to inform them that Castro-Montejo was being processed for release that day. DOCR released Castro-Montejo at approximately 6 p.m., six hours later.”

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