WASHINGTON – On Feb. 3, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested Marissa Martinez, 29, also known as Wilson Yovani Martinez or Maritza Martinez, an unlawfully present Guatemalan national after she was released by Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail despite a lawful immigration detainer. Martinez had pending charges for sexual assault of a child and assault when she was released from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail and has since been re-arrested charged with felony indecent liberties with a child. After the second arrest, she was again released from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail a second time, despite an active detainer. Martinez was released back into the community instead of being turned over to ICE.

On May 9, 2018, Martinez entered the U.S. and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Ysidro, Ca. She was transferred to ICE custody and released on an ankle monitor on July 27, 2018. She complied with the monitoring terms and was removed from the monitoring program on Mar. 3, 2019, while pending her immigration proceedings.

On Nov. 30, 2019, the Charlottesville, Va., Police Department arrested Martinez for misdemeanor sexual assault of a child and assault, and ICE lodged a detainer with the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail on the same day. However, despite the detainer, the facility released Martinez on bond, providing only one-hour notice to ICE officers before she was released back into the community.

On Jan.3, the Albemarle County Police Department arrested the Martinez for felony indecent liberties with a child. ICE lodged a second detainer the same day. On Jan. 21, again, the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail released Martinez and again did not provide enough time for ICE officers to assume custody. As a result, Martinez was released back into the community for the second time.

On Feb. 3, ICE officers arrested Martinez in Charlottesville, Va. She is currently detained at the Caroline Detention Facility and will remain in ICE custody pending the result of her immigration proceedings.

“When detainers are ignored, and criminal aliens are released back in the community, our greatest fear is that they will reoffend. That is precisely what is alleged to have happened here. The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail chose to ignore a lawful detainer which would have kept this individual off the street and instead made a bad-faith attempt with one-hour notice, not just once, but twice.” said Russell Hott, the ERO Washington, D.C. field office director. “When we’re talking about the safety of a child, there’s no room to play political games.”

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