UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — ICE is blasting Prince George's County for ignoring a federal detainer, and freeing a convicted violent offender onto the streets.
Back in April 2025 Rafael Aguilar, of Honduras, was arrested and charged for stabbing a man in the back.
Initially charged with attempted second-degree murder, Aguilar eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser count of misdemeanor assault.
Circuit Court judge Todd C. Steuart issued a 10-year sentence, but ordered Aguilar to serve just 141 days behind bars.
ICE says Aguilar is in the United States illegally, so in August 2025 they lodged an immigration detainer in hopes the County would hold him until agents could take over custody.
Instead the County released Aguilar on January 6, 2026, forcing ICE to rearrest him just a week later.
“When sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to honor ICE immigration detainers for egregious criminal illegal aliens, they are knowingly endangering the public,” said ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins. “By releasing Aguilar instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement, local officials in Prince George’s County chose politics over public safety. These reckless policies fail the law-abiding residents who expect their communities to be kept safe. ICE will continue to step in and do the job sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to do.”
It should be noted that in May of 2025, the Trump Administration labeled Prince George's County a "Sanctuary County."
However, they were removed from the list in August 2025.
Meanwhile, just recently the Maryland General Assembly repealed the 287(g) program, which deputizes state and local law enforcement to assist with immigration efforts.
Last year, WMAR-2 News reported on a study ranking Maryland tenth in the nation for ignoring ICE detainers.
