Spokane family, wrongfully detained asylum seeker released from ICE custody

Two members of a family and a wrongfully detained asylum seeker, all living in Spokane at the time of their detainment, were released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

A father and his 10-year-old daughter from Spokane were released from a Texas detention center Saturday, KHQ reported, citing a Facebook post by Latinos En Spokane, a non-profit organization that works to empower the Latino population in Spokane.

“Karla and her father are heading home !!!” Latinos en Spokane wrote.

Arnoldo Caal and his daughter Karla Baltazar, originally from Guatemala, were detained by ICE in January, according to KHQ. They were detained in Spokane, where they had lived for several years.

Baltazar was an elementary student within the Spokane Public Schools District. The district told KHQ the family has no criminal history.

Community members protested the family’s detention, echoing demonstrations last summer over another immigrant’s detention in Spokane.

Immigrant returns to Spokane after judge rules detention illegal

Joswar Rodriguez Torres, a 29-year-old Venezuelan immigrant detained in June, was released back to Spokane after a judge ruled his imprisonment illegal, The Seattle Times reported Monday.

Rodriguez Torres was detained at the Spokane ICE facility when he went in for a regular check-in.

U.S. District Judge James Robart ruled the federal government illegally detained Rodriguez Torres and denied his right to due process.

Rodriguez Torres is in the country legally through the Venezuelan Humanitarian Parole Program, which allows immigrants facing persecution to live and work in the U.S. under parole, according to The Seattle Times.

The media outlet noted that Rodriguez Torres has no criminal history in the U.S., and all of his court filings were submitted on time. Rodriguez Torres was seeking an appeal for his asylum claim, but the government instead revoked his parole with no explanation, according to court records.

Robart said the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to detain him was an “abuse” of discretion.

“All persons, regardless of their immigration status, are entitled to due process under the Fifth Amendment,” Robart wrote, according to The Seattle Times.

Rodriguez Torres is currently living with a friend and is waiting for another court hearing. However, he was told that the immigration courts are too backed up right now, and that it could be two years until the next hearing, former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart told The Seattle Times.

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