Federal immigration authorities in Boston have taken a 23-year-old Guatemalan man into custody after state officials accused him of a series of sexual offenses tied to an incident in Billerica. The suspect, identified as Rocael Ordonez-Cruz, was detained last Wednesday and remains in federal custody as immigration officials move ahead with removal proceedings. According to authorities, he faces charges that include assault to rape, rape, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or older, and indecent exposure.
As reported by the Boston Herald, ICE agents with the Boston field office arrested Ordonez-Cruz at the Middlesex County House of Correction. From there, they served him with a Notice to Appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge at the agency's ERO Boston headquarters in Burlington. ICE officials said they do not yet know when or where Ordonez-Cruz entered the United States without inspection, and the agency added that he will stay in custody while his removal case plays out.
What ICE said
ICE Boston has framed this arrest as part of its broader push to remove criminal noncitizens from New England communities. David T. Wesling, acting field office director for ERO Boston, has repeatedly said these operations are focused on public safety, according to Boston 25. The agency’s public statements typically stress working closely with local law enforcement while aiming to protect residents.
Arrest and charges
Before ICE stepped in, Arlington police had arrested Ordonez-Cruz the previous month on related allegations, and federal agents took custody after that local detention, according to the Boston Herald. Prosecutors have outlined a slate of serious charges, and those state criminal cases will move forward separately from the federal immigration process. It is still not clear whether state prosecutors will push ahead toward setting trial dates while removal proceedings are underway.
What a Notice to Appear means
By serving Ordonez-Cruz with a Notice to Appear, ICE has formally launched removal proceedings in immigration court. That document starts the case and typically leads to a master calendar hearing in front of an immigration judge. The Executive Office for Immigration Review states that people in removal proceedings can be held in detention while their cases are pending and that they have the chance to obtain legal counsel and request various forms of relief in immigration court. Local officials have asked anyone with information related to the case to contact law enforcement.
