Man remains in ICE custody days after judge ordered his release to protect family
Apr 8, 2026·Location: Chattanooga, TN
Country of origin: Mexico

Octavio Andrade-Aguilera, a Mexican national, remains in ICE custody at the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Alabama, as of April 10, 2026, after being transferred there on April 5. Magistrate Judge Mike Dumitru had denied the federal government's request to detain him, finding he was not a flight risk, in order to avoid harming his wife and disabled American citizen daughter. Andrade-Aguilera has lived with his family in north Georgia for several years and is their sole financial provider, while his wife is their daughter's sole caregiver.
Sources
- Man in ICE custody after Chattanooga judge said detention would harm family | Chattanooga Times Free Press
timesfreepress.com·Apr 8, 2026·archived copy
- Mexican father of paralyzed American child faces illegal reentry charges, deportation | Chattanooga Times Free Press
timesfreepress.com·Apr 3, 2026·archived copy
- local3news.com
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