ICE Urges New York to Hold 59-Year-Old Salvadoran in Teen Rape Case

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 19

Federal immigration officials lodged a detainer against Aureliano Antonio Melendez Reyes, 59, and urged New York authorities to transfer him to ICE rather than release him from Suffolk County custody.
Suffolk County prosecutors charged Reyes with rape, sexual abuse and endangering a child after a 16-year-old girl was allegedly forced into a Huntington alley on June 6 and assaulted while walking home.
DHS said Reyes entered the U.S. illegally, had a final removal order issued in 1998, and was arrested after the girl escaped, called 911 and officers took him into custody.
The agency used the case to press New York's sanctuary policies, saying jurisdictions in the state have released nearly 7,000 criminal immigrants since Jan. 20, 2025 and still hold more than 7,000 people subject to active detainers.