Federal Judge Orders Immediate Release of Mexican Asylum Seeker Detained by ICE

A federal judge in Oregon has ordered the immediate release of a 24-year-old Mexican asylum seeker, Y-Z-L-H, after determining that his detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was unlawful. Y-Z-L-H had come to the U.S. in 2023 after fleeing cartel threats, was living and working legally in Newport, Oregon, and had been granted parole and work authorization. He was arrested by ICE officers immediately after an asylum hearing in Portland, despite his parole still being valid, and subsequently held in multiple overcrowded detention facilities for nearly a month. Judge Michael H. Simon found that ICE had not lawfully revoked his parole or provided justification for his arrest, violating due process and the Administrative Procedure Act. The ruling underscores concerns about ICE practices and the procedural rights of asylum seekers, with legal advocates emphasizing this case as a crucial affirmation of due process protections. The outcome may have broader implications for other detained asylum seekers whose cases are still pending.