Oregon Mom Freed After Nearly Four Months in ICE Detention Following Court Ruling

Maria Loya Medina, an Oregon mother with no criminal record and a 21-year history in the United States, was detained by ICE agents in January while shopping for her son in Albany, Oregon. Masked agents smashed her car window during the arrest, part of a larger DHS operation known as Operation Black Rose, which used warrantless arrests and surveillance to conduct sweeping raids across Oregon communities.

For nearly four months, Maria was held in the ICE detention center in Tacoma, separated from her family and enduring inhumane conditions. Her detention was challenged in federal court, where judges found that Maria’s constitutional due process rights were violated. The immigration judge who denied her bond failed to provide a fair hearing, and ICE had no lawful grounds to detain her.

On Thursday, the federal court ordered Maria’s immediate release, declaring her detention unconstitutional. Yet ICE ignored the order until the following morning, forcing Maria to spend an additional night behind bars. Stephen W. Manning, an attorney with Innovation Law Lab and co-counsel on the case, criticized ICE’s selective obedience: “While ICE operates a 24/7 arrest machine, it only bothers to comply with the Constitution and court orders during banker’s hours.”

Maria’s prolonged detention took a devastating toll on her family. Her 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with depression, and her 16-year-old son assumed caregiving responsibilities for both his sister and their father, who is recovering from heart surgery following a stroke. Maria herself works as a house cleaner and has been a stable presence in her community for nearly a decade.

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who has advocated for Maria’s release, condemned ICE’s tactics as illegal and aggressive, promising to continue fighting these inhumane policies through legislation, protest, and legal challenges.

Though Maria is now free, her immigration case remains on appeal. She continues to fight to stay in the U.S. with her family, highlighting the ongoing struggle faced by countless immigrants caught in a broken system that prioritizes enforcement over justice.

José G. Miranda, senior staff attorney at Innovation Law Lab, summed up the case: “Maria was separated from her family for months because ICE refused to follow the law. We are vindicated by the federal court’s decision to hold ICE to account and free her.”

This case is a stark reminder of the human cost of ICE’s unchecked power and the urgent need for accountability in immigration enforcement. The full case filings are available at Innovation Law Lab’s website.