A federal judge ruled this week that a Venezuelan man was unlawfully arrested by border patrol in Calais, and detained for 65 days based on a tip from a concerned citizen.
U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Massachusetts ruled this week that Customs and Border Protection must release Jeanfranco Alejandro Flores Salazar from GPS monitoring and agency supervision.
Flores Salazar, a Venezuelan citizen, was permitted to enter the country last year, while he applied for asylum and was granted a temporary work authorization. He found work with a construction company, which brought him to Maine in March for a job near the Canadian border.
A Calais citizen then reported the work crew's van to Customs and Border Protection. Flores Salazar was arrested, even though he presented a valid work authorization card. He was eventually transported to Massachusetts where he filed a petition in federal court.
According to court documents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement later attributed his detention to human error, and Customs and Border Protection said it was an administrative oversight.
Flores Salazar was released from custody in May. But he was still fitted with a GPS monitor and subject to strict agency supervision.
