NJ teen detained 53 days by ICE now plans for college, law school
Apr 9, 2026·Location: Orange, NJ
Country of origin: Spain

Ariadna Zumba, 18, a native of Spain who holds Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, was detained by ICE on April 9, 2026, and held for 53 days at Delaney Hall in Newark, missing her senior prom and high school graduation. She was released June 1, 2026, after filing a habeas corpus petition, and later received her diploma at a mid-August ceremony at Orange High School. Zumba described moldy food, overcrowding, inadequate medical care and early-morning room checks at Delaney Hall, and said she joined a hunger strike over conditions before stopping after officers threatened additional charges; she also helped other detainees with translation and paperwork. She has no criminal record, was accepted to Essex County College, and plans to study social sciences before transferring to Montclair State University and eventually attending law school, though she has another ICE appointment scheduled for January.
Sources
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