An 18-year-old New Haven student who was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and held in detention centers across the country for several weeks has been released.
Esdrás Zabaleta-Ramirez was granted bond by a federal immigration judge during a hearing Thursday. The judge allowed the teen’s release after a show of community support, including participation in the hearing from New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and Board of Alders members, activists, teachers and peers.
Zabaleta-Ramirez was arrested on July 21 by ICE agents while at work at a car wash in Southington. He was sent to detention centers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Louisiana for expedited removal, meaning immediate deportation without due process. His deportation flight to Guatemala was canceled at the last minute, and he has since been held in Massachusetts.
Connecticut Students for A Dream, an activist group of young immigrants of which Zabaleta-Ramirez was a member, announced his release Tuesday and asked for privacy as he returns to school and his life in New Haven. A homecoming celebration would be planned at a later date, the release said.
“We’re focused on Esdrás’s wellbeing,” Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director for Connecticut Students for a Dream, said. “Our priority is ensuring a successful transition back into high school. Esdrás is in good spirits as he makes the journey back to Connecticut. He says, “I am happy to be free. I can’t believe it. Thank you to everyone who helped support me.”
Buoyed by immigration activists, and school and municipal officials, Zabaleta-Ramirez was able to gain access to an attorney who fought for due process proceedings and a halt to his immediate deportation. At a rally announcing the judge’s decision Thursday, speakers noted that the teen was more than lucky, but said that one should not have to be lucky to access due process rights.
“To everyone who showed up, spoke out, and stood beside Esdrás — thank you. This is a meaningful victory, but it is only one step,” CT Students for a Dream said in a Facebook post. “We will not rest until all immigrants are free. Until every young person, like Esdrás, can live without fear of detention or deportation. Too many families are still waiting. Too many lives remain in limbo. The fight continues.”
Zabaleta-Ramirez’s fight is not over. He has been released from detention but will continue to face removal proceedings.
