Fatima Issela Velazquez-Antonio NC | Woman freed after detained by ICE, CBP at work in Raleigh, sent to Georgia detention
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) — A woman detained by immigration agents in Wake County last month is back in North Carolina.
ABC11 learned Tuesday morning that 23-year-old Fatima Issela Velazquez-Antonio had been released from ICE custody, according to a relative.
She was moved to a Georgia federal detention facility in November, after Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents took her into custody at her job site in Raleigh.
After arriving at RDU, she shared her gratitude for the support and for being back home.
“I’m just so happy to come back home to family. I don’t know what to say right but now thank you for everything. To all the people – thank you, thank you so much,” said Velasquez-Antonio.
She said her boyfriend was informed of the support she was receiving from back in the Triangle.
“I was so happy for that. I say thank you for all that,” said Velaszquez-Antonio.
Gene Smith, Fatima’s uncle, picked her up Monday night from the facility in Georgia and flew back to RDU with her on Tuesday.
“I’m glad to have her home. I told her aunt – I’m not going to leave Georgia until I have her. I brought her home. And I’m glad she’s home. It’s a true Christmas miracle in my opinion,” said Smith.
He further acknowledged that, despite being back home, the legal process for her to gain citizenship continues.
“It’s going to be a huge fight ahead. But her family is sticking behind her and we’re not giving up. One day she’ll be a United States citizen,” Smith said.
Fatima has been in the U.S. legally since she was 14, leaving gang violence in Honduras.
Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who spoke at a rally in Wendell last month calling for her release, reacted to the news.
“I’m thrilled that she’s been released. The real problem is that she was detained in the first place. And clearly, they figured out that she did not have a criminal record. She had been doing everything the right way. She had amazing advocate. She had an amazing attorney. And of course, the community and her family support,” said Ross.
Ross criticized how immigration enforcement actions have been deployed.
“The Trump administration can be using their resources to do much more targeted deportations of violent criminals. That’s what they said they were going to do. That is exactly what they should be doing, instead of a sweep that would bring Fatima to Georgia, away from her family for a month. Have her have to hire an attorney to handle her case. It’s just really, really a sad thing. A happy outcome because she’s coming home, but completely unnecessary,” Ross said.
The bulk of immigration enforcement actions in North Carolina last month focused on Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, with a spokesperson writing about 370 people had been arrested over a five-day span.
Raw Video: Fatima Velazquez-Antonio back in NC
Fatima Issela Velazquez-Antonio has been released from ICE custody and Georgia early Tuesday and arrived at RDU in the afternoon.
Her family has been fighting for her release pending her asylum case.
Ashley Lively is representing Velazquez-Antonio. Lively says Velazquez-Antonio has no criminal history aside from minor traffic violations and had no warrant out for her arrest prior to being detained.
Lively also says Velazquez-Antonio has a valid work permit, a social security number, and has not missed any prior interviews or hearings with the Department of Homeland Security.
“She had the right to remain in the United States while her case was being adjudicated. She did not have any sort of legal, permanent immigration status,” said Lively. “She had done everything right and was just waiting for her case to be adjudicated.”
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