Colombian asylum applicant detained at USCIS interview, separated from family
Apr 9, 2026·Location: Tustin, CA
Country of origin: Colombia
A Colombian national who entered the United States in 2022 was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 9, 2026, at a USCIS office in Tustin, California while attending an interview for his pending asylum application. He had been living in Compton, California with his girlfriend and their child and had previously been appearing for immigration court hearings before those were terminated. He was held virtually incommunicado, denied contact with family and counsel for two days, and permitted only one 15-minute phone call with his attorney. The court found that his arrest without notice or a pre-deprivation hearing violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and his Fifth Amendment due process rights. On April 20, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted his habeas corpus petition and ordered his immediate release without conditions, finding that he had developed a substantial liberty interest in remaining free based on his four years of residence in the United States and his family connections.
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