WYANDOTTE COUNTY, Kan. -- A man accused of rape hundreds of miles away has connections to the metro Kansas City area.

Evanivaldo Alejo-Sebastian is accused of raping a woman in Portland, Ore., at a fast-food restaurant where he worked. He is a former inmate of the Wyandotte County Jail and he probably shouldn't have been in this country in the first place, officials indicate.

Alejo-Sebastian is in jail in Oregon, accused of raping a co-worker inside a Wendy's restaurant restroom. Federal immigration officials have placed a hold on him while they investigate.

While the federal government won't confirm that Alejo-Sebastian is in this country illegally, they do confirm he is a Mexican national who could be deported if convicted.

KCTV 5's sister station in Portland talked with the victim's mother. The fact that he might be illegal doesn't sit well with her.

The government had a chance to look into Alejo-Sebastian's status both in 2006 and 2007 when he was arrested and brought to the Wyandotte County Jail on misdemeanor charges of DUI, having no driver's license or insurance.

Wyandotte County Jail Administrator Jeffrey Fewell said that both times the jail staff notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he might be in the country illegally.

"It was confirmed we made contact with ICE but nothing was ordered from ICE, so we went ahead and released," Fewell said.

Fewell said it doesn't surprise him that a former inmate would be accused of committing a violent crime, but it does frustrate him and he said it's all about money. It costs too much for the government to prosecute and deport everyone who is in the country illegally, he said.

"It's a flaw in our system, but it boils down to funds," he said.