BALTIMORE — A mother detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with her husband, in front of a Baltimore City school is set to be released from custody, as confirmed by court records.
Judge Matthew J. Maddox has mandated the immediate release of Adriana Gavilan Sanchez, who has been held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, following her arrest on June 12 outside Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School.
According to the ruling, she must be released by 5 p.m. on Wednesday after successfully petitioning for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, as outlined in court documents.
RELATED: Governor Wes Moore calls ICE arrest on Baltimore City School campus ‘deeply disturbing’
ICE has stated that the arrest of her husband, Jesus, occurred because he allegedly “refused lawful commands, violently resisted arrest, and used his vehicle to evade law enforcement.”
According to ICE, Jesus fled to the area near the school before being apprehended by officers.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis mentioned that ICE leadership worked in conjunction with school officials and the Governor’s Office to ensure the situation was handled safely. However, representatives from the city school district contradicted this, stating there was no coordination in advance of the incident.
“Based on the video evidence we have reviewed and firsthand accounts from staff and families, we have questions about ICE’s characterization of events. Importantly, Baltimore City Public Schools did not coordinate with ICE during the incident at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School,” said Sherry Christian, a spokesperson for City Schools.
Assistant Secretary Bis also pointed out that this incident was not Jesus’ first interaction with ICE agents.
“During a prior ICE encounter in April, he was involved in a collision with an ICE vehicle before fleeing the scene,” she explained.
According to ICE, Adriana, originally from Mexico, is accused of physically assaulting officers and now faces federal charges related to the assault of a federal officer.
However, the legal representatives for both Adriana and Jesus dispute these allegations, asserting that the entire episode began when the family was confronted by an individual clad in black after they visited a Dunkin’ Donuts that morning.
They claim that Jesus felt his family was in danger when an armed individual pointed a firearm at him and broke his car window. In an attempt to escape, he drove toward the school, only to be struck from behind by another vehicle, causing him to veer toward the median.
As the family approached the school, they spotted police lights, leading Jesus to suspect that the armed individual may have been a federal agent rather than an unidentified assailant, according to their legal team.
Upon stopping their vehicle, agents approached, shattered the remaining glass, and forcefully removed Jesus from the car.
The law firm reports that Jesus was tackled to the ground and apprehended, suffering various injuries to his legs and face in the process.
Their attorneys allege that an agent warned Adriana to “Put your hands behind your back so we don’t do to you what we’re doing to your husband—or worse.”
ICE has stated that the parents were permitted to contact a relative while their children were taken to stay with their aunt.
As of now, Jesus remains in ICE custody at the Farmville Detention Facility in Virginia.
