Honduran man released from jail, picked up by ICE after bail posted
Jul 2, 2026·Location: New Bedford, MA
Country of origin: Honduras

Jose Raul Martinez-Alvarado, 40, from Honduras, was arrested by New Bedford Police on June 7 after officers found him in an apartment where a group of men were fighting and residual cocaine was present. He was charged with possession of a large capacity firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and resisting arrest. He posted $500 bail on June 8 and an additional $1,000 bond on June 9, after which he was released from Bristol County Jail; he was then picked up by ICE on July 2. The case sparked a public dispute after ICE Boston posted on social media that the jail had released him without honoring an ICE detainer, prompting Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux to respond that detainers are not legally binding, citing a 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling barring local and county law enforcement from holding individuals solely on detainers and a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting state enforcement of federal immigration law. Heroux accused ICE of acting in an unprofessional and partisan manner and called for accountability within the agency.
Sources
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