ICE Arrests Convicted Offender Released Twice by Howard County Despite Detainer

Key Takeaways

• Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, convicted of second-degree rape, was released twice despite ICE detainers in Howard County, Maryland.
• Howard County’s Liberty Act prohibits honoring ICE detainers without judicial warrants, limiting police cooperation with ICE.
• ICE criticized Howard County, arrested Flores-Arce on May 22, 2025, and plans to deport him under final removal order.

On May 22, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce, a 20-year-old Honduran national, outside the Howard County Detention Center in Maryland. Flores-Arce, who had been convicted of second-degree rape, was released twice into the community by Howard County officials despite ICE’s formal requests to detain him. This case has sparked renewed debate about the responsibilities of local governments, the role of ICE detainers, and the impact of “sanctuary” policies on public safety and immigrant communities.

Who Is Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce and What Happened?

Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce first came to the attention of U.S. authorities on March 12, 2019, when he was stopped by Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. He was given a notice to appear in immigration court, which is a document that tells a non-citizen when and where to go for their immigration hearing. Years later, on October 17, 2024, Flores-Arce was arrested by Howard County Police in Maryland and charged with second-degree rape. On April 29, 2025, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, with an additional five years of supervised probation.

While Flores-Arce was in custody, ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the Howard County Department of Corrections on January 13, 2025. An ICE detainer is a request from federal immigration authorities asking local law enforcement to notify ICE before releasing a non-citizen and to hold that person for up to 48 hours so ICE can take custody. However, Howard County released Flores-Arce on May 5, 2025, after he served part of his sentence, without notifying ICE or holding him as requested. He was arrested again on May 8, 2025, for violating his probation, but was released a second time, again without ICE notification.

ICE Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations team eventually located and arrested Flores-Arce on May 22, 2025, as he left the detention center. He is now in ICE custody and faces a final administrative removal order, which means he is set to be deported from the United States 🇺🇸.

Why Did Howard County Release Flores-Arce?

Howard County’s actions are guided by the Liberty Act, a local law passed in 2020. The Liberty Act prohibits county agencies from cooperating with ICE detainers unless there is a judicial warrant—a court order signed by a judge. This policy is part of a broader “sanctuary” approach, which aims to protect the rights of immigrants and build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.

County Executive Calvin Ball has stated that Howard County will follow federal and state laws but is not allowed by county code to help with immigration enforcement unless a judge orders it. This means that, even when ICE sends a detainer, Howard County officials will not hold someone past their release date or notify ICE unless there is a judicial warrant.

ICE’s Response and Public Safety Concerns

ICE officials, including Baltimore acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker, have strongly criticized Howard County’s refusal to honor detainers. Baker stated, “The decision by Howard County Detention Center to ignore our immigration detainer and release a removable individual with an egregious criminal history undermines public safety and put Maryland communities at risk.” ICE argues that when local jails do not cooperate, agents must arrest people in the community, which is more dangerous for both officers and the public.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, ICE sees non-cooperation as a growing problem, especially when it involves individuals with violent criminal convictions. ICE maintains that honoring detainers is essential for keeping communities safe.

How the ICE Detainer Process Works

To understand the controversy, it helps to know how the ICE detainer process works:

1. ICE files a detainer with a local jail or detention center, asking to be notified before a non-citizen is released and to hold the person for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release.
2. Local authorities decide whether to honor the detainer. In Howard County, officials require a judicial warrant, not just an ICE detainer.
3. If the detainer is not honored, ICE must find and arrest the person in the community, as happened with Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce.

For more details on ICE detainers and removal processes, readers can visit the ICE Detainers page on the official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.

Stakeholder Perspectives: A Divided Community

The case of Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce has brought out strong opinions from different groups:

• ICE and Federal Lawmakers: ICE demands cooperation from local jails and criticizes releases like this one. Some federal lawmakers, such as Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), have called for cutting federal funding to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE and even prosecuting officials who refuse to comply.
• Howard County Officials: County leaders say they are following the law and protecting civil liberties. They stress that the Liberty Act is designed to prevent racial profiling and maintain trust with immigrant communities.
• Immigrant Advocates: Groups that support immigrants argue that local non-cooperation with ICE helps protect vulnerable people from being unfairly targeted and keeps families together. They also say that involving local police in immigration enforcement can make immigrants afraid to report crimes or cooperate with police.
• Community Members: The public is divided. Some people believe stricter enforcement is needed to keep communities safe, while others worry about the impact on immigrant families and civil rights.

Legal and Policy Background

The legal debate centers on whether local governments are required to honor ICE detainers. Courts have generally found that detainers are requests, not orders, unless they are backed by a judicial warrant. This gives localities like Howard County the choice to cooperate or not.

Howard County’s Liberty Act is part of a larger trend of “sanctuary” policies in Maryland and across the United States 🇺🇸. These policies limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, especially when it comes to holding people past their release dates or sharing information about immigration status.

The Trump administration (2017-2021) pushed for strict immigration enforcement and clashed with local governments that adopted sanctuary policies. With the incoming Trump administration in 2025, there is renewed pressure on localities to cooperate with ICE, and talk of penalties for those that refuse.

Timeline of Key Events

Here is a summary of the main events in the case of Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce:

Political and Legal Fallout

The release of Flores-Arce has led to strong reactions from both sides of the immigration debate. America First Legal, a group led by Stephen Miller, sent a legal warning to Howard County officials, threatening possible criminal and civil charges for not following federal immigration law. At the same time, immigrant support organizations and civil rights groups have defended the county’s actions, saying that local cooperation with ICE can lead to racial profiling and erode trust in law enforcement.

Federal lawmakers, especially from the Republican Party, have threatened to cut funding to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE. They argue that public safety is at risk when people with serious criminal convictions are released into the community.

Impact on Immigrant Communities

For immigrants living in Howard County and similar areas, these events create fear and uncertainty. Many worry that increased cooperation with ICE will lead to more arrests, family separations, and deportations. Others fear that reporting crimes or interacting with police could put them or their loved ones at risk of being detained by ICE.

Local officials and immigrant advocates argue that sanctuary policies help protect civil liberties and encourage immigrants to work with police without fear of deportation. However, critics say these policies can allow dangerous individuals to avoid removal from the United States 🇺🇸.

What Happens Next for Flores-Arce and Howard County?

As of May 29, 2025, Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce remains in ICE custody and is subject to a final administrative removal order. This means he is likely to be deported soon, unless there are legal challenges or appeals.

Howard County has not announced any changes to its policies in response to this case. The Liberty Act remains in effect, and county officials continue to require a judicial warrant before cooperating with ICE detainers. However, the county faces ongoing political and legal pressure from federal authorities and advocacy groups on both sides of the issue.

With the incoming Trump administration, there may be new efforts to force localities to cooperate with ICE, possibly through funding cuts or legal action. Local governments like Howard County will likely face continued challenges as they try to balance public safety, civil liberties, and the needs of their diverse communities.

Practical Guidance for Immigrants and Community Members

If you or someone you know is affected by immigration enforcement actions, here are some steps you can take:

• Know your rights: You have the right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer if you are questioned by ICE or police.
• Contact support organizations: Groups like Luminus (www.beluminus.org) and CASA Maryland (wearecasa.org) offer help to immigrants in Howard County and across Maryland.
• Stay informed: Follow updates from trusted sources, including local government websites and immigrant support groups.
• For families with children in school: Howard County Public Schools provides resources for immigrant families at www.hcpss.org/about-us/immigrant-families-support/.

If you need to report a crime or suspicious activity related to immigration enforcement, you can contact the ICE Baltimore Field Office at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or use the online tip form on the ICE website.

Broader Implications: What This Case Means for the Future

The case of Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce is not just about one person. It highlights the ongoing struggle between federal immigration authorities and local governments over who should control immigration enforcement. As reported by VisaVerge.com, these conflicts are likely to become more intense as federal policies shift and localities hold firm to their own laws.

For ICE, local non-cooperation means more at-large arrests, which are riskier for everyone involved. For local governments, refusing to cooperate with ICE can bring legal and political challenges but is seen as necessary to protect civil rights and community trust. For immigrants, these battles create uncertainty and fear, especially as enforcement priorities change with each new administration.

Conclusion: A Community at the Crossroads

The arrest of Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce by ICE after his release by Howard County officials has reignited debate over immigration enforcement in Maryland and across the United States 🇺🇸. With strong opinions on all sides, the case shows how difficult it is to balance public safety, civil liberties, and the needs of immigrant communities.

As federal and local policies continue to clash, the future remains uncertain for immigrants, local governments, and law enforcement agencies. What is clear is that the decisions made in cases like this will have lasting effects on families, communities, and the broader debate over immigration in the United States 🇺🇸.

Learn Today

ICE detainer → A federal request to local authorities to hold a non-citizen for up to 48 hours before release.
Liberty Act → Howard County law restricting cooperation with ICE detainers unless supported by a judicial warrant.
Judicial warrant → A court order signed by a judge authorizing law enforcement actions like detentions.
Probation violation → Breach of court-ordered supervision conditions after release from prison.
Final administrative removal order → An official ICE decision that results in a non-citizen’s deportation from the U.S.

This Article in a Nutshell

Alex Yonatan Flores-Arce’s release despite ICE detainers under Howard County’s Liberty Act reignites immigration enforcement debates amid safety concerns and legal challenges.
— By VisaVerge.com