Honduran mother wins asylum case but remains in federal custody
Two dozen people rallied outside the detention facility in Aurora to call for the release of Carla Medina a Honduran mother of two who has been detained for more than six months after delivering a DoorDash order to Buckley Space Force Base Although she won her asylum event Thursday Medina remains in federal custody for now Still she and her supporters considered the judge s decision to be a success I m still in shock Medina revealed to the crowd over a video call from the U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility I m going to be able to reunite with my family very soon Pablo Acosta holds his phone to a microphone so his wife Carla Azucena Medina Hernandez can speak to the crowd during a press conference and rally outside the GEO Detention Facility in Aurora Colorado on May Photo by RJ Sangosti The Denver Post The news conference took place on the same day as her asylum hearing in immigration court Medina s lawyer Andrew Younkins disclosed she won her scenario but the governing body reserved the right to appeal on a single issue whether there were extraordinary circumstances as to why Medina s asylum application was not filed within one year of entry He commented the judge revealed that such circumstances were present But the move means Medina may be held for at least more days if not longer depending on whether the establishment files an appeal The court s decision had not been updated online by the Executive Office for Immigration Review as of p m Thursday according to general event information Medina described The Denver Post in an interview from the ICE facility last month that she left Honduras in out of fear of domestic violence and threats made by her ex-husband Medina explained her family also sought to flee gang violence and her husband Pablo Acosta was escaping political persecution They entered the country using CBP One a mobile app offered by U S Customs and Demarcation Protection to schedule an appointment at a port of entry to seek asylum As of Thursday evening Medina still sat in the ICE detention center She was first detained by federal immigration personnel Oct while delivering a DoorDash order to Buckley she announced According to Medina she was in the asylum process and had her work permit on the day she was picked up She reported that after she was stopped by safety officers at the gate ICE officers arrived and she was detained She declared officers recounted her that she had a deportation order but Medina hasn t seen it to date Related Articles Trump asks Supreme Court to allow him to end humanitarian parole for people from countries Trump s suit against Colorado sanctuary laws starts with a lie and only gets worse Editorial Legal experts say Trump is unlikely to win Colorado lawsuit against sanctuary policies But he may not care Denver rejects million asphalt contract with Suncor because of refinery s contamination Federal judge grants injunction indefinitely bars Trump s use of Alien Enemies Act in Colorado ICE did not respond to inquiries by The Post asking why Medina was detained The American Friends Amenity Committee and Aurora Unidos CSO the social justice organizations behind the Thursday news conference noted in a news release that Medina worked as a nurse for years in Honduras They referenced an earlier case when Medina had been wrongfully arrested in Aurora on April and the charges against her were dismissed on Oct AFSC s plan director Jennifer Piper declined to provide further context around the prior arrest and dismissal Acosta and their two children Gimena and Mateo are hoping for Medina s release sooner than later They have their own asylum hearings pending in the coming months Just how we won in current times various victories are yet to come Acosta declared in Spanish through a translator It s not just us fighting against this Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter
