Minnesota Schoolgirl Released From Immigration Detention After Month-Long Ordeal
A ten-year-old Minnesota girl has been released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after spending a month detained at a Texas facility, according to school officials. Elizabeth Caisaguano, a fourth-grade student from the Columbia Heights school district in suburban Minneapolis, walked free with her mother from the Dilley detention centre on Tuesday night.
Family's Detention and Health Concerns
Elizabeth and her mother were taken into custody by federal agents on 6th January, becoming the first of five students from the Columbia Heights district to be detained during what school leaders describe as the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown in the region. The family, originally from Ecuador, has an active asylum case pending.
Growing health concerns surrounded Elizabeth's detention as federal officials confirmed that the Dilley facility, which houses families, is currently experiencing a measles outbreak. Hundreds of children remain detained at the centre.
Carolina Gutierrez, principal secretary at Highland Elementary where Elizabeth attends school, has been assisting the family and revealed concerning details about their condition. "The girl was experiencing flu-like symptoms and her mother had broken out in hives," Gutierrez told reporters, adding that they hadn't yet received a proper medical assessment despite these symptoms.
Traumatic Arrest and Community Response
The circumstances of the arrest were particularly distressing according to school officials. Elizabeth and her mother were picked up by agents while on their way to school, with the ten-year-old acting as an interpreter during the encounter. She reportedly called her father during the arrests, telling him that officers would drop her off at school.
Her father rushed to the elementary school and waited for hours with school staff, but Elizabeth never arrived. By the end of that day, both Elizabeth and her mother had already been flown to Texas. Tracy Xiong, a school social worker, recounted the father's devastation at a press conference with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, describing how he "sat in his car, buried his head in his hands and cried uncontrollably."
Gutierrez, who has been working closely with the father and raising funds for the family, described his ongoing distress: "He has been sad and desperate for answers. He hasn't been able to sleep. He doesn't have an appetite. He felt very helpless."
Legal Proceedings and Sudden Release
Elizabeth's case was assigned to US Judge Fred Biery, who had previously ordered the release of five-year-old Liam Ramos from the same facility. In that case, Judge Biery argued that the boy's detention had "its genesis in the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children."
On Monday, Judge Biery issued an order blocking the removal or transfer of Elizabeth and her mother, giving the federal government five days to respond to the family's release petition. Their sudden release the following day came as something of a surprise to legal representatives.
Bobby Painter, managing attorney with the Texas Immigration Law Council which represents the family, stated emphatically: "This didn't have to happen. This is a family going through the process as it was intended. They presented at the border as asylum seekers and were admitted to the country. That case is still ongoing. They did everything they were supposed to do and still found themselves detained and separated."
Contradictory Accounts and Policy Debate
The Department of Homeland Security defended the detention in a statement, claiming that after Elizabeth's mother was arrested, "officers allowed her to make phone calls to place the child in the custody of someone she designated." The statement continued: "She failed to find a trusted adult to care for the child, so officers kept the family together for the welfare of the child."
This account has been directly contradicted by family members and school officials who assert that the father was ready and willing to take custody immediately. DHS did not respond to questions about these discrepancies.
Painter further disputed DHS's characterization that Elizabeth's mother has a "final order of removal," explaining that while one judge had denied asylum, the family filed a timely appeal which remains pending, meaning there is no final removal order in effect.
Broader Context and Impact
Elizabeth's case follows that of five-year-old Liam Ramos, whose release from the same facility over the weekend generated widespread outrage. Advocates note that while Liam's case received international attention after his photo went viral, his situation is far from unique.
According to a Guardian analysis of detention data, ICE booked approximately 3,800 minors into immigrant family detention from January to October 2025, including children as young as one or two years old.
Painter expressed strong views about the practice of family detention: "Family detention is very traumatic for children, even for relatively short periods. Children should not be detained under any circumstances, period. The entire practice of family detention is immoral and bad policy, and I hope there is continued public attention on this until we don't have any more kids in this position."
Educational and Community Fallout
Gutierrez highlighted the broader impact on the school community, noting that the trauma extends beyond individual families: "The trauma is following these kids into classrooms. The students fear for themselves and their classmates. Every day, they wonder if they are going to see their classmates tomorrow."
She expressed relief at Elizabeth's release but emphasised the ongoing need for advocacy: "I'm just excited to see Elizabeth come back to school. I'm extremely happy and relieved, and we have to continue advocating and speaking up for other people to come home."
Elizabeth herself had expressed her distress during detention, with Gutierrez revealing: "When she was flown to Texas, she thought her dreams were over. She dreams of being a doctor. She's pleaded with her dad: 'Get me out of here. I want to go back home. I want to go back to school. I want to eat good food.'"
Painter described Elizabeth as an "avid reader" who "really wants to get back into that routine" of normal school life. As Elizabeth and her mother prepare to return to Minnesota to reunite with her father, their case continues to highlight ongoing debates about immigration enforcement practices and their impact on children and families.
