Federal immigration officials criticized a judge in Suffolk County for allowing an undocumented immigrant to remain free despite having received a fourth felony conviction for drunk driving. Judge Brian Browns reportedly overlooked prosecutors’ recommendations and released Pablo Aguilar-Alvarez, a 36-year-old Salvadoran national, on bail last Friday.
Aguilar-Alvarez, who is facing sentencing in about two months and could potentially spend up to seven years in prison, is considered a flight risk.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “County judges should prioritize public safety rather than making excuses for not cooperating with federal immigration efforts. ICE will do everything possible to locate, detain, and remove these criminal illegal aliens from American society.” The spokesperson added a stern message: “If you come to our country illegally and commit crimes, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will never return.” They emphasized that under the Trump administration, undocumented individuals with criminal records are unwelcome.
Prosecutors noted that Aguilar-Alvarez had previously been convicted of a felony DUI in 2017 and was deported in March 2024 after another arrest for drunk driving. Somehow, he managed to return to the U.S.
His latest arrest occurred in November when a concerned friend contacted the police after he stopped at a gas station to buy alcohol. Law enforcement stopped him after observing him run a stop sign and drive erratically, marking his fourth alcohol-related charge in ten years.
Prosecutors also mentioned a misdemeanor DUI offense from 2012. On Tuesday, ICE reported that Aguilar-Alvarez has a significant criminal background, including previous DUI, drug possession, and weapons possession charges. They noted that local law enforcement has not honored ICE detainers connected to Aguilar-Alvarez since his return after deportation in 2024.
After being convicted of felony DUI again on Friday, prosecutors had requested that the judge hold him without bail until his October 2 sentencing, but Judge Browns decided otherwise.
The New York State Administrative Office of Courts did not respond to requests for comment regarding the matter. Notably, Browns has a history with drunk-driving cases, having previously overseen a case involving a Polish national who fled after a fatal drunk-driving incident. In that case, he ordered the suspect to be held without bail upon his extradition to the U.S.
