Overview
- Ricardo Hernández-Navarrete, an 18-year-old Mather High School senior, was granted bond and released from ICE custody on Tuesday and is returning to Chicago to attend his graduation and rejoin his soccer team.
- His mother, Liliana Navarrete, was freed earlier after a federal judge issued a writ of habeas corpus that covered her and others detained in the same round of arrests.
- The pair were detained during what they say was a routine asylum check-in on March 16 and were separated and moved to detention facilities in other states, including Kentucky.
- Family lawyers say both had active asylum applications and no criminal records, while detainees reported harsh conditions in custody and ICE officials noted a pending USCIS application does not confer lawful status.
- Their legal fight continues: both must appear before immigration judges, Ricardo has a next hearing set for July 14, and advocates say court habeas and bond procedures can provide temporary relief while asylum cases proceed.