A 30-year-old man from Honduras, living in the United States without legal permission, has been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The arrest happened on April 11 after the Maryland Department of Corrections handed him over to ICE officers. The man, Kelvin Emanuel Granados-Sorto, had earlier been convicted of a serious sex offense in Maryland.
Conviction and Prison Sentence
Granados-Sorto was found guilty by the Circuit Court in Prince George’s County, Maryland, of committing a third-degree sex offense. The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison on May 12, 2023.
While he was in state custody, ICE placed an immigration detainer on him on July 12, 2023. This detainer ensured that once his state legal matters were handled, he would be transferred to ICE for immigration-related action.
Immigration Status and Deportation Order
Granados-Sorto entered the United States illegally. Authorities do not know when or where he crossed the border, and he did not go through any legal immigration process like inspection, admission, or parole.
After reviewing the case, a Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Granados to be removed from the U.S. and sent back to Honduras. That decision was made on October 24, 2023.
Currently, Granados is still in ICE custody and waiting for his removal to be processed.
ICE’s Statement on Public Safety
Nikita Baker, the acting Field Office Director for ICE’s Baltimore office, said this arrest shows how important it is when local law enforcement works with ICE.
She said, “This is what public safety looks like when we prioritize the protection of our communities over politics.” Baker emphasized that cooperation between agencies helped take a dangerous sex offender off the streets and made neighborhoods safer.
This case highlights how U.S. authorities are working to keep communities safe by removing individuals with serious criminal backgrounds who are in the country illegally. ICE’s cooperation with local police and prison departments ensures that such offenders don’t return to society unnoticed. With his removal ordered, Granados-Sorto will soon be deported to Honduras. ICE continues its mission to protect the public by taking firm action against criminal non-citizens.
Democrats had promised to free him!