Massachusetts Gov Healey's 'things will happen' comment on migrant rape case spills into NH gov race

New Hampshire Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte on Tuesday torched Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey's recent comments on a migrant rape case in the Bay State.

Healey, a Democrat, recently was asked on camera by Boston 25 News about the case against Cory Alvarez, a 26-year-old migrant from Haiti who is charged with raping a 15-year-old disabled girl at the Comfort Inn in Rockland, Massachusetts, that was converted into an emergency migrant shelter by the state.

"It’s a horrible situation. It’s a horrible allegation. My thoughts are with the victim and her family," Healey told the outlet at an event in Dorchester last week, defending the vetting process for migrants who are placed at the state's emergency shelters. "I think we have the right systems in place. Unfortunately, this is a terrible incident." 

"This is also an individual who came in lawfully under the federal government through a federal program. … Unfortunately, we have security and systems in place, we have vetting in place. It is unfortunate from time to time things will happen."

HAITIAN MIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE OF 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL ENTERED VIA CONTROVERSIAL PAROLE PROGRAM: SOURCES'

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald/File)

Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, issued a statement on Tuesday demanding that her Democrat opponent, Joyce Craig, "denounce" Healey's endorsement in the New Hampshire governor's race.

"This is the problem with politicians. There are real consequences for these dangerous sanctuary policies and when the system fails our children, it is not good enough to say it will happen – it is unacceptable, and it must be fixed. Maura Healey should be ashamed of herself," Ayotte said in a statement to the Boston Herald.

"Unfortunately, Joyce Craig agrees with her Massachusetts mentor’s dangerous sanctuary policies and would bring this crisis to New Hampshire. Craig needs to denounce Healey’s endorsement, and once and for all condemn sanctuary policies," she added. 

Cory B. Alvarez allegedly raped a teenage girl at a motel where he lived that houses migrants. Alvarez entered the United States lawfully in 2023 in New York City and is being held without bail. (Fox News)

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Craig's team later responded in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

"This is a disgusting attack by Kelly Ayotte, who should know better than to use a heinous crime to score political points," said Craig Brown, campaign manager for Joyce Craig for New Hampshire. "Joyce worked closely with law enforcement to reduce violent crime in Manchester by nearly 40% as mayor and she supports legislation to strengthen our nation’s border. Kelly Ayotte proved she is more interested in playing politics than addressing the border crisis when she opposed the bipartisan border security bill that would have delivered billions to secure the southern border, provide more screening for migrants, and prevent fentanyl from being smuggled into our communities."

In a post on X sharing the Herald's story, Ayotte wrote, "Joyce Craig can hide from the media all she wants, but she can't hide from the truth. The truth is, Joyce agrees with @MassGovernor's sanctuary policies that have left the commonwealth in complete chaos. I will not let Joyce Craig MASS up New Hampshire."

Kelly Ayotte is running for New Hampshire governor. (Siavosh Hosseini/NurPhoto via Getty Images/File)

Fox News Digital also reached out to Healey's office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office said Rockland police responded to the Comfort Inn on March 13 to reports of a sexual assault. The hotel participates in a state and federal program to house migrant families, and Alvarez lived at the hotel. When officers arrived, they spoke with the 15-year-old female victim, who was taken to an area hospital to be treated.

Multiple Department of Homeland Security sources told Fox News last week that Alvarez is a Haitian national who came to the U.S. in June via the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) parole processes. The policy, first announced for Venezuelans in October 2022, allows a limited number of noncitizens to fly directly into the U.S., as long as they have not entered illegally, have a sponsor in the U.S. already and pass certain checks.

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In January 2023, the Biden administration announced the program was expanding to include Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans and would allow up to 30,000 people per month into the U.S. It allows for migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S. and was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities.

Fox News' Bill Melugin, Adam Shaw, Griff Jenkins and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.