Overview
- Ricardo Hernández-Navarrete was released on bond and returned to Chicago in time for his Mather High School graduation after an immigration judge approved his release Tuesday.
- He and his mother, Liliana Navarrete, were detained on March 16 during a routine asylum check-in and were separated and moved between multiple detention facilities.
- Liliana won her release last week through a federal habeas writ and the family’s lawyers and community organizers used fundraising, media coverage, and legal filings to press for both releases.
- Ricardo and his mother reported harsh conditions while detained, including crowded cells, solitary confinement, and sleeping on floors, and Ricardo was fitted with an electronic wrist monitor after his release.
- Both remain in active asylum proceedings with future court dates, and their case highlights how routine ICE check-ins, habeas petitions and bond hearings can determine whether asylum seekers stay detained or return to family and school.