Maryland high school rape case sparks immigration row

Rockville High School

An alleged rape at a US high school has sparked a row over immigration that has reached all the way to the White House.

Two Central American-born students are in custody after a 14-year-old girl was attacked last week at Rockville High School in Maryland, police say. The White House said "tragedies like this" had motivated President Trump's illegal immigration "crackdown".

Henry Sanchez had entered the country illegally, records show

On Tuesday night, protesters gathered outside the school, some expressing concern about undocumented immigrants.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the crime "shocking, disturbing, horrific"

Henry Sanchez, 18, and Jose Montano, 17, were charged in the alleged assault, which the victim said took place in a boy's toilet at the beginning of the school day last Thursday.


Authorities say the older boy is in the country illegally, but they refused to disclose the other suspect's immigration status because he is a juvenile.

On Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer condemned the crime, calling it "shocking, disturbing, horrific and whatever other words that someone can think of". But at a press conference, school officials played down the immigration angle.

"We would like to change the conversation," said Jack Smith, superintendent of the 159,000-student Montgomery County Public Schools system.

"Some have tried to make this into a question and issue of immigration... but we serve every student who walks through our doors," he added. He said the two suspects had been enrolled in a special programme for non-English speakers.