Judge describes detainment of immigrant as 'manifest recklessness' and urges her release

U.S. District Court Judge Zahid N. Quraishi strongly criticized the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi's Department of Justice for illegally detaining Diana Elizabeth Cartagena Hueso, a 29-year-old immigrant with no criminal record. Cartagena Hueso was initially released in 2016 after establishing credible fear of returning to her home country and being referred for asylum proceedings. Nearly a decade later, on January 26, 2026, she and her husband were arrested by immigration officials while traveling to a doctor's appointment. The government repeatedly transferred her between detention centers as she struggled to challenge her detention in court. The judge ruled the detention illegal, stating the government abandoned its detention authority by releasing her in 2016. He characterized the government's conduct as "manifest recklessness" and "intentional misconduct," ordering her immediate release and warning DOJ prosecutors of consequences for similar arrests.

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