LAKE ELMO, Minn. — A federal judge has ordered the release of Antonia Aguilar Maldonado, a mother who has been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for nearly four weeks. Her release comes as her immigration case continues in court.
Aguilar Maldonado, originally from El Salvador, was arrested on July 17 while commuting to work. She has no previous criminal record and is a mother of two small children; the youngest, a nursing infant, relies solely on her breast milk due to a milk allergy.
Following her arrest, Aguilar Maldonado was held at the Kandiyohi County jail. Her attorneys advocated for her release so she could reunite with her children during the ongoing legal proceedings. A U.S. District Court judge ruled in her favor, allowing her to be released on a $10,000 bond, confirming that she poses neither a threat to public safety nor a flight risk.
Aguilar Maldonado entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor in 2016. Since her ICE arrest, her attorneys have worked diligently to secure her release. They successfully argued that her separation from her children, particularly the infant who has been without her mother’s milk for 26 days, was detrimental.
Gloria Contreras Edin, one of Aguilar Maldonado’s attorneys, noted the urgency of reuniting her with her children. “She wants to be reunited with her children immediately,” Contreras Edin stated, emphasizing the unique dietary needs of her youngest child.
Although an immigration judge had previously ordered her release on bail, the Department of Homeland Security appealed that decision, resulting in Aguilar Maldonado’s continued detention. Her legal team escalated the matter to U.S. District Court, where they filed a writ of habeas corpus.
After hearing arguments, Judge Susan Richard Nelson granted the petition, requiring Aguilar Maldonado’s release on bond. Her attorneys anticipate that she will be able to post the bond as soon as court operations resume on Wednesday.
Support for Aguilar Maldonado extended beyond the courtroom, with her St. Paul church community raising funds to secure her bond. Many church members attended the hearing, celebrating the judge’s decision with a standing ovation. Friends described the past few weeks as a “roller coaster,” filled with uncertainty about her fate.
Upon her expected release, Aguilar Maldonado will face ongoing immigration proceedings as the government seeks to deport her. She is scheduled to return to immigration court for further hearings to address her legal status.
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