Pakistani man living in Maine who linked to the Times Square bomber is no threat but should remain in custody, a government immigration lawyer has said.

The Boston Globe has reported that Richard Neville, deputy chief counsel to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, argued during a hearing Wednesday that Mohammad Shafiq Rahman should not be released. Neville argued Rahman might flee.

It was also reported that Rahman, a computer programmer, lived in the United States legally from 1999 to 2004, remained when his visa expired and is now married to a U. S. citizen. He was arrested during the investigation into the Times Square bombing.

Her client knew Faisal Shahzad, who pleaded guilty on Monday to carrying out the bombing, but had not seen him for eight years, said Cynthia Arn, a Portland, Maine, lawyer who represented Rahman at the hearing in Boston. The two got to know each other when both were living in Connecticut.

He will decide by the end of the month whether to free Rahman while Rahman fights to remain in the United States, the judge has said. He is being held at the jail in Portland and appeared at the Boston hearing via video link. (With Inputs from Agencies)