BOSTON — A federal judge has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release a 13-year-old boy who was arrested and is reportedly being held in Burlington at the agency’s temporary holding facility.
In an order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns directed ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to release the child by Tuesday unless they can provide legitimate grounds for his detainment, MassLive reported.
The order also requires that the boy receive a hearing before an immigration judge no later than Oct. 17 to determine whether he is eligible for bail.
Judge Stearns expressed concern that the juvenile is being held “presumably in the company of unrelated adult detainees,” which could violate federal standards mandating that minors be housed separately from adults in immigration custody, Boston.com reported.
Details surrounding the boy’s arrest and immigration status have not been made public because he is a juvenile.
The Burlington facility, which typically serves as a short-term holding site for detainees awaiting transfer, has previously drawn scrutiny from immigrant rights advocates over alleged overcrowding.
