An El Salvadoran illegal immigrant wanted for allegedly sexually assaulting a child has been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts, after a local sheriff’s office ignored a detainer to hold him.

ICE said its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston arrested 55-year-old Hugo Israel Ruiz on Dec. 17 on felony charges of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, adding that he remains in custody pending immigration and criminal proceedings.

The Revere Police Department arrested Ruiz on Aug. 22, and his hearing was held at the Chelsea District Court.

The court allowed Ruiz to be released from the Nashua Street Jail on bail, despite an immigration detainer requesting ICE be notified of his release.

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But the sheriff’s office that operates the jail ignored the detainer, releasing Ruiz into the public without notifying ICE.

“ERO Boston will take every opportunity to identify, locate and take into custody criminal noncitizens facing felony charges and keep them in custody until their criminal and immigration proceedings are resolved,” ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde said. “Not only is this our mission, it is also the lawful thing to do.”

In October 2019, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department terminated its contract with ICE, and instead chose to shift resources due to the increasing population of women entering the Suffolk County House of Correction, according to a statement from Sheriff Steve Thompkins at the time.

“We are ending our contract with ICE to reallocate our resources towards helping local women to address long-standing issues that have contributed to their involvement in the criminal justice system,” Tompkins said in the statement. “Our gender-specific programming, which is among the best in the country, allows us to address these issues, which include domestic violence, sexual exploitation and substance use disorders, to name a few.”

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An exterior view of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency headquarters is seen July 6, 2018 in Washington, DC. U.S.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The statement, which appears on his campaign website, noted that the contract with ICE to house federal immigration detainees was first signed in 2003. The then acting director of ICE ERO Boston said the agency was disappointed by the sheriff’s decision after sharing a “mutually beneficial” partnership for over a decade.

The latest arrest comes as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has said that her state police will “absolutely not” be cooperating with the expected mass deportation effort by the incoming Trump administration, warning that she will use “every tool in the toolbox” to “protect” residents in the blue state.

President-elect Trump has pledged to launch the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” to deport millions of illegal immigrants. One report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) estimated 50,000 migrants have arrived in the state since 2021.

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Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey held a morning press conference announcing significant action related to the state’s emergency shelter system. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

“I do think it is important that we all recognize that there is going to be a lot of pressure on states and state officials. I can assure you we’re going to work hard to deliver,” Healey said following President-elect Trump’s resounding election win last month.

Last year, Healey declared a state of emergency in the state due to the surge and called for federal action. She also acknowledged that the state’s policies may be a draw for migrants.

“Many of these families are migrants to Massachusetts, drawn here because we are and proudly have been a beacon to those in need,” she wrote in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

BOSTON (WHDH) – Boston Archbishop Richard Henning led his first Christmas Mass in the city on Wednesday, drawing a crowd of followers from across the country who wanted to be on hand for the historic occasion.

The Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was a lot to take in for the archdiocese’s new leader.

“I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed, it’s my first Christmas in Boston, so that makes it extra special,” he said.

“My mission in life is not to bring people to me but to point them to the heart of Jesus,” Henning added.

The message he delivered, parishioners said, resonated with those on hand.

“It was really profound, I really enjoyed his homily and the way the Mass was celebrated and I really enjoy the spirit of Christmas and the message that he taught us today,” one woman said.

Henning went on to meet with children at Boston’s Children’s Hospital to spread holiday cheer.

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As I sit here feeling a headache form in between sips of egg nog in my new Ice Nine Kills sweatshirt, I’ve written, erased, and rewritten the opener for this six times. What can even be said after what we just watched other than “Yeah, this team isn’t going anywhere.”

From the opening drive, these were the same Steelers we’ve seen the last two weeks – unorganized, unmotivated, and a complete non-threat to teams that are actually contenders in the AFC.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the Steelers punted on their first two drives that spanned a combined eight plays. The Steelers weren’t down and out yet, though. A quick drive that featured several big Jaylen Warren runs got them into the red zone in three plays. Warren ran into the end zone, but a holding call on Darnell Washington brought it back. The next play, Russell Wilson threw an interception to Justin Reid and that all but sealed the deal. Even when Wilson ran in for a score to make the lead 13-7, it never really felt like the Steelers would take the game by the horns and make a statement. The only statement they made is that they remain a second-class team.

Even when they owned time of possession, they didn’t do anything with the ball. They had the ball for 31:22, but their two turnovers plus a turnover on downs did them in. They ran the ball well, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both finished with over 70 yards and the team accumulated over 200 yards on the day. But five Russell Wilson sacks and a lackluster passing game were Pittsburgh’s undoing offensively.

Defensively, this team is lost. After the first two scores, multiple players are throwing up their hands in confusion wondering what happened. They didn’t register a sack on Mahomes, they gave up 320 yards through the air, and allowed 16 first downs via Mahomes’ arm. This is not a good defense, and they lack any sort of aggressiveness to try and help the back end with pressure. Now at 10-6 and losers of three straight, Pittsburgh will likely be the No. 5 seed and travel to Houston or Baltimore for the wild card round, and nothing they’ve shown over the last month gives anyone any reason to believe they’d win. Stick a fork in the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t a serious football team.