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Asylum seeker transferred out of state despite court order, judge orders release

Jun 24, 2026·Location: Lewiston, ME

Asylum seeker transferred out of state despite court order, judge orders release
Photo via sunjournal.com

Eduardo Jose Alves, an Angolan asylum seeker living in Lewiston, Maine, who entered the U.S. on a valid tourist visa and filed an affirmative asylum application, was detained by ICE agents at his home on June 20, 2026. That same day, a court issued an emergency order staying his transfer out of Maine for 72 hours, but ICE moved him to Plymouth County Correctional Center in Massachusetts within two hours of the order. Attorneys raised questions about whether agents had a valid warrant and whether they improperly pressured his 15-year-old daughter to allow entry into the home. U.S. District Judge Stacey Neumann later found the detention violated the existing court order and that his out-of-state transfer impaired his right to counsel ahead of an imminent bond hearing, and ordered his immediate release from ICE custody. The dispute became a flashpoint between immigration authorities and attorneys challenging the administration's enforcement tactics.

Timeline

Jun 24, 2026—Federal judge granted habeas petition, ruled the transfer violated the court order, and ordered Alves' immediate release
Jun 20, 2026—ICE agents detained Alves at his Lewiston home; court issued 72-hour stay on his transfer, but ICE moved him to a Massachusetts facility within two hours
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