MILWAUKEE, Wi — A Sheboygan Falls mother detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement nearly 3 months ago has been released from a Kentucky detention facility on a $1,500 bond.
Elvira Benitez-Suarez was detained by ICE outside an immigration hearing in March. Her attorney, Marc Christopher, says her family will pick her up from the Kentucky facility where she has spent the last several weeks.
"So today Elvira was released on a bond. It's the minimum bond in immigration court of $1500," Christopher said.
Christopher says this is the second time Benitez-Suarez has been detained, with the two periods of detention totaling about 8 months.
Watch: Sheboygan Falls mom Elvira Benitez-Suarez released from ICE detention after nearly 3 months held in Kentucky
"Imagine what it would be like to be separated from your children and thrust into this terrible detention facility for a period of 8 months," Christopher said.
Benitez-Suarez fled to the U.S. at 15 years old after suffering a sexual assault in Mexico. Her case centers on her fight for a green card, which Christopher says she was granted. The federal government is appealing that decision.
Christopher says she has never had a criminal record and is a productive member of society. He says her story is becoming more frequent under the Trump administration.
"These are people that can simply attend their court dates, post a bond, and attend their court dates without having to be detained while they're still with their family. Um, so it's a tremendous waste of resources and in some cases, extremely, extremely cruel," Christopher said.
TMJ4 reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security for comment Tuesday night, but has yet to hear back.
Christopher says the next step in Benitez-Suarez's legal battle is continuing to fight the U.S. government's appeal of her green card application. He says briefs are due in June.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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