ORANGE — Two men are reportedly in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being apprehended outside Orange District Court before a scheduled appearance.
Brothers-in-law Jose Ivan Diaz-Maldonado, 20, and Bolivar Rivera-Perez, 29, will allegedly remain held pending removal proceedings, according to a statement released by an ICE spokesperson. Both face charges related to a March 23, 2025, incident involving gunshots being fired that Orange Police said was the result of “severe recklessness.”
Diaz-Maldonado has pleaded not guilty on single counts of improper storage of a firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, possession of a firearm without an FID card and possession of a large-capacity feeding device, and Rivera-Perez has pleaded not guilty to single counts of possession of ammunition without an FID card, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, improper storage of a firearm, discharging a firearm near a highway, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, possession of a large-capacity firearm and possession of large-capacity feeding device.
The federal agency referred to Rivera-Perez as a “twice-deported criminal illegal alien from Mexico.” ICE Boston reportedly lodged an immigration detainer against Rivera-Perez with the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction on March 24, 2025. However, the ICE spokesperson said, it was refused, and Rivera-Perez was released.
“Yet another pathetic example of how sanctuary policies and politicians prioritize dangerous criminal aliens over their own law-abiding citizens,” the ICE spokesperson said in a statement.
Interim Sheriff Lori Streeter said Rivera-Perez and Diaz-Maldonado were released on bail.
“Law enforcement agencies of the commonwealth such as ours have no legal authority to hold individuals pursuant to immigration detainers. Mr. Rivera-Perez and Mr. Diaz-Maldonado were both released after posting their bail ordered by the courts of the commonwealth. Our office has no legal authority to do otherwise,” Streeter wrote in an email. “The comments made by the ICE official regarding immigration laws and our adherence to them are inappropriate, unprofessional and unacceptable. Such remarks fall short of the standards of conduct expected in this context and undermine constructive and respectful engagement.”
The March 13 arrests by ICE agents prompted a standout in front of Orange District Court on Tuesday involving six people who were concerned that Diaz-Maldonado and Rivera-Perez could get lost or mistreated in ICE custody and denied their right to due process. The U.S. Constitution guarantees this right to any person within the United States, regardless of citizenship, legal status or nationality.
Diaz-Maldonado, also from Mexico, was originally slated to be back in court on Tuesday. The standout’s participants said their objective was to ensure ICE agents obeyed the law if they brought him to court. The participants had planned to hold signs on the sidewalk from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until ICE left, but dispersed at around 11 a.m., when it was learned that Diaz-Maldonado’s court session would not be held that day.
Montague resident David Detmold said a friend in New Salem told him about the standout after Diaz-Maldonado and Rivera-Perez were apprehended by ICE while showing up for a scheduled court appearance.
“And I feel that that’s a violation of due process and that we need to uphold the law — not flout it,” he said, holding a sign. “And also I think the whole persecution of immigrants is misguided and wrong. It’s bad for our economy. It’s bad for our farms. Immigrants are hard-working people who are trying to support their families and they are our friends and neighbors, ultimately.
“This is wrong and it needs to be protested, and I’m standing here just to protest that,” Detmold continued. He added, “This is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants make us strong, and if they’re being persecuted now, I want to stand here and support them.”
Detmold also mentioned Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Minnesota residents who were shot dead by ICE agents in January.
“I stand in support of the judicial branch of government,” New Salem resident Sue Cloutier said in a statement about the protest. “I stand for the Constitution with its checks and balances between the three branches of our government.”
CBS News reported last month that an internal Department of Homeland Security document it had obtained revealed that less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses.
NPR reported this month that 23 people have died in ICE custody since October, more than in the entire prior fiscal year.
Gov. Maura Healey and state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell last week announced the launch of an online portal (mass.gov/fedmisconduct) to allow Massachusetts residents to report alleged misconduct by ICE agents operating within the state. The portal is designed to help the state identify patterns of potential misconduct, support affected residents, and inform possible legal or policy actions by the state.
Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said the portal sends a clear message that Massachusetts cares deeply about public safety, civil rights and constitutional rights.
“At its core, this effort by Gov. Healey and Attorney General Campbell is about accountability and integrity. I believe fear is not a public safety strategy. It fractures trust, weakens cooperation and ultimately makes our communities less safe,” he said in a statement. “Strong communities depend on trust in the institutions that serve them. My office will always stand in defense of the Constitution and the rule of law. We will not remain silent when government power, at any level, is used in ways that undermine those principles. In Massachusetts, no person is above the law, and accountability must apply to everyone.”
Healey also released a statement in response to ICE agents allegedly not providing the accurate and up-to-date information she had requested about arrests in Massachusetts.
“We know why ICE is refusing to provide this data — because it would show the truth that they are overwhelmingly going after people without criminal records and who are not a threat to public safety,” she said. “I continue to urge ICE to stop hiding this information. People deserve to know who they are arresting, for what reasons, and whether their due process is being protected.”