ICE Detention Tears Couple Apart for 150 Days — Now They’re Fighting Back

At Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan’s East Village, a reunion unfolded that was both joyous and raw with pain. Allan Dabrio Marrero, recently released after 150 days of ICE detention, embraced his husband Matthew Marrero in front of a crowd of journalists and supporters. Their tears were not just for the reunion but for the nightmare they endured — and the uncertain road ahead.

Allan’s ordeal began after he applied for a green card, a legal step that instead triggered his detention and separation from Matthew. Despite living in the U.S. legally for over a decade, Allan was seized by ICE agents, held in freezing, overcrowded conditions, and shuffled between detention centers with little explanation. He described being locked in a cold room with a thin mattress and foil blankets, with open bathrooms and callous guards who arbitrarily confiscated commissary items.

“I just broke down and cried,” Allan recalled, describing the moment he learned he faced an order of removal despite following the law. He was moved through multiple facilities, including one grimly nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” where lights were mostly off and the atmosphere was oppressive.

Even after a judge ruled Allan was not a threat and ordered his release on bail in January, the Department of Homeland Security defied the court, refusing to process the bond. This blatant disregard for judicial authority prolonged Allan’s detention and deepened the legal battle. Only after his attorney Alexandra Rizio filed a federal complaint citing violations of the Administrative Procedures Act did ICE relent and release Allan on April 30.

The press conference was more than a celebration; it was an act of resistance. Joined by elected officials like Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and U.S. Representative Dan Goldman, immigration advocates, and church members holding signs reading “Allan is free” and “Free them all,” the Marreros’ story became a rallying cry against ICE’s brutal practices.

Matthew and Allan know the trauma of detention will shadow them indefinitely, but they vow to be a beacon for others caught in the immigration system’s cruelty. Their case highlights the systemic failures of ICE: inhumane conditions, family separations, and a disturbing pattern of ignoring court orders.

Rev. Amanda Hambrick of Middle Collegiate Church, who was barred from attending Allan’s green card hearing, reflected on the emotional toll this fight takes not just on detainees but on their communities. “It’s just a very small piece of the trauma that I am reliving compared to what Allan must be reliving,” she said.

This reunion is a victory, but it is also a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle the cruel, profit-driven detention system that continues to tear families apart under the guise of immigration enforcement. The Marreros’ fight is far from over — and neither is ours.