A federal immigration court judge ruled on Thursday that a South Burlington man from Honduras who was jailed after an ICE raid last week can be released from prison on $10,000 bond.
Christian Humberto Jerez Andrade was swept up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 11 at the end of a standoff at a Dorset Street home that resulted in a large protest featuring sometimes violent clashes with law enforcement. He’s been in custody since and appeared virtually in court on Thursday from a St. Albans prison.
From a courtroom in Chelmsford, Mass., Judge Natalie Smith ruled that Jerez Andrade is not a danger to the community and, given that he has a job and a place to stay, would be likely to return to court for his next appearance, scheduled for April 2. She also noted that the court had received numerous letters of support for the defendant.
Jerez Andrade has lived in the U.S. for 11 years and moved to Vermont to work in construction so that he could better provide for his long-term partner and their 6-year-old son, both of whom live in Louisiana. He’d only lived in the South Burlington home for two weeks, according to his attorney, Nathan Virag.
“I can’t stress enough the outpour of community support that Mr. Christian has,” Virag said. “He’s done nothing but try to be better for his family, his community. He’s worked in construction; he’s worked on a local school here. He’s a very respected member of this community.”
Judge Smith noted that Jerez Andrade has a domestic abuse battery conviction from 2021 but said federal prosecutors had not made a convincing case that the defendant is a danger to the community. The bond amount, she said, was sufficient to alleviate any concerns Jerez Andrade would skip town.
Virag said his client would live with a Winooski family that is putting up Jerez Andrade’s nephew, José Estrada Jerez, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen who also was in the Dorset Street house when ICE raided it last week. Virag noted that they surrendered during the raid once agents breached the home.
Jerez Andrade also sat for a two-and-a-half-hour interview with the FBI on Wednesday, according to Virag, and “cooperated fully, was happy to answer all the questions they had.” They inquired about a series of car crashes on Dorset Street that ultimately led to last week’s standoff, according to the attorney.
“The FBI continuously let my client know that he is free to stop answering questions if he so desires. He continued the interview,” Virag said. “Before we left the interview, my client indicated that he’s happy to return, should they need him.”
It’s unclear when or if Jerez Andrade will pay the bond and be released. Virag did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two other people, sisters from Ecuador with pending asylum claims, were also swept up in last week’s raid. A judge released Johana Patin Patin on Monday; her sister, Camila Patin Patin, is due in court on Friday.
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