ICE blasts 'Sanctuary County' for releasing illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting young girl

Immigration and Customs Enforcement blasted Montgomery County, Maryland — the infamous "Sanctuary County" — over the weekend after local officials released an illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting a young girl.

Luis Fredy Hernandez-Morales, a 48-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was arrested last week on charges that he sexually assaulted a young female family member.

From WTTG-TV:

According to detectives, Hernandez-Morales inappropriately touched a juvenile family member on at least two occasions while staying at the victim's Montgomery County home in July 2019. Detectives also say Hernadez-Morales tried to engage the juvenile in sexual conversation, allegedly telling the victim not to tell other family members about the incidents.

Shockingly, Hernandez-Morales is also "active in youth ministry" at his local church, leading police to believe that there may be additional victims, WTTG reported.

However, the serious nature of the charges did not stop Montgomery County officials from releasing Hernandez-Morales from jail last Wednesday, after he posted bail, despite ICE placing a detainer on Hernandez-Morales the previous day.

The county's surprising actions came just days after the county announced the partial rollback of a controversial policy enacted by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich that prevented ICE from detaining violent immigrants being held in the Montgomery County Jail.

In response, Acting ICE Baltimore Field Officer Director Frank Madrigal blasted Montgomery County, WTTG reported.

"The best way to serve public safety is to work together," Madrigal said. "Montgomery County had indicated they would securely transfer dangerous criminals to our custody rather than release them to the community where they can reoffend. These actions indicate they intend otherwise."

For their part, a spokesman for Elrich said the county was only following "the decision of the Attorney General that we can't hold an individual, for any reason, once they have been cleared for release."

Fortunately, immigration authorities apprehended Hernandez-Morales on Friday in Springfield, Virginia.