After 25 days, ICE releases Maryland woman who says she is a U.S. citizen

[In It to Win It]

Gift Link
https://wapo.st/44Zs2TH

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday released a Maryland woman who was held for 25 days despite evidence that her lawyers say proves she was born in the United States and is a citizen.

Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, 22, walked out of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center Wednesday afternoon in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she was met by members of her legal team, according to one of her lawyers, Victoria Slatton.

“We were afraid that it wasn’t really going to happen, and then when we saw her, it was very surreal and we were really, really happy,” Slatton said in an interview. “There was a lot of tearing up.”

Slatton said the case against Diaz Morales has not yet been dismissed by the government and she could still face deportation proceedings. But Slatton is confident her client’s claim to citizenship has been established.

“She is a U.S. citizen. She was born here. I think that we’ve presented more than enough evidence, but we will continue to fight it until every single court accepts and acknowledges it,” she said.

[Ilsa]

1. JFC. No one is safe if they are deporting people born here.

I hope she sues them for kidnapping her.

[Ms. Toad]

3. This fiasco is another example of why RealID is bad.

As near as I can tell - her birth documents don't match her current name - and she doesn't have intervening documents changing her name, because she didn't actually change her name - the original documents were incomplete/incorrect (apparently because her parents had two different last names). The discrepancies appear to be related to language difficulties. They don't say it directly, but her parents may not have been citizens (articles do report that she has dual citizenship). They had to try to piece together proof of birth in the US by hospital birth records (also with name discrepancies) and immunization records. She spent most of her life in Mexico.

Not excusing this at all - but this is similar to the challenge that many will face trying to get a RealID to vote when original documents are missing or don't match the name that someone has been using all their life.

[Ilsa]

6. I can attest to difficulties

with names and cultural naming practices for children. I worked in public education and it took an effort to match kids to parents without making assumptions on marriage, divorce, fostering, etc. Me:

[Ms. Toad]

2. Link to archived copy of the article which doesn't require creating an account at wapo

https://archive.li/lYPwT

[bigtree]

4. fuck this shithole regime

...and the people who didn't stand up on election day to be counted.

This shit about her still being at risk of deportation is nothing but retaliation for standing up for herself and ass-covering from a vindictive and corrupt government.

[DBoon]

5. ICE doesn't have to prove you immigrated here without documentation

YOU have to prove you are innocent, that you are in fact a citizen.

Anyone can be detained. The burden on proof is on the detainee.