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Haitian woman seeks bond hearing after ICE arrest while returning from work

Oct 1, 2026·Location: Springfield, OH

Country of origin: Haiti

Haitian woman seeks bond hearing after ICE arrest while returning from work
Photo via journal-news.com

Darline Jean Baptiste, a 33-year-old Haitian woman, was arrested by ICE in Springfield, Ohio on Aug. 14 while returning home from work during what the agency called a "targeted alien enforcement operation," and has since been held at the Butler County Jail. She entered the U.S. through a Florida airport in November 2023 under a humanitarian parole program, financially supports two children in Haiti, and said she fled her homeland due to daily threats of violence. An immigration judge denied her a bond hearing, ruling he lacked jurisdiction because she was considered an "arriving alien," and later withdrew her bond request entirely. On September 23, 2026, she filed a federal habeas corpus petition in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, naming the warden of Butler County Corrections Center as respondent, supported by exhibits including her I-94, employment authorization document, an employer letter, and letters of support. In her court declaration, she said she is not a flight risk or danger to the community and committed to attending all future immigration court hearings if released. The government's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss her petition, and her attorneys filed a response in opposition on October 1, 2026.

Timeline

Oct 1, 2026—Attorneys filed response in opposition to the government's motion to dismiss her habeas petition
Sep 23, 2026—Filed federal habeas corpus petition in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio naming the Butler County Corrections Center warden as respondent, with supporting exhibits
Aug 14, 2026—Arrested by ICE in Springfield, Ohio while returning home from work during a 'targeted alien enforcement operation'
Aug 14, 2026—Immigration judge denied bond hearing, ruling he lacked jurisdiction because she was an 'arriving alien'; judge later withdrew her bond request
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