A judge has ordered that a Bronx 11th-grade student, Joel Camas, be released from ICE custody immediately. This decision comes amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to deport him, which the judge termed “Orwellian.”
Dirtict Judge Kathy Seibel mentioned that Joel’s legal team made a compelling case for his urgent release during a recent court session in White Plains.
“We are dealing with minors who are expelled from school mid-year and face significant harm,” she stated.
Visibly frustrated, Judge Seibel dismissed the arguments presented by Southern District Attorney Jay Clayton as “Orwellian or Kafkaesque.” She questioned Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Kroll, representing Clayton’s office, asking if they were truly interested in pursuing the case, suggesting it might be a misuse of resources.
Kroll insisted that federal authorities were still looking to take action against the boy.
Joel sat in the courtroom wearing a hoodie, listening as the judge issued the order for his release right away.
Prior to his detention during a routine immigration check on October 23, Joel had an impeccable attendance record at Gotham Collaborative High School.
According to court documents, Joel and his mother fled Ecuador in December 2022 due to gang violence. After losing their asylum case in 2024, they were ordered to be deported, and Joel’s mother was already deported earlier this year.
The Trump administration had granted Joel “special immigrant youth” status in April, indicating that a court had determined it wouldn’t be in his best interest to return to Ecuador. His lawsuit claims this should protect him from being deported.
However, federal officials argue that deportation is still a possibility, and discussions between the two parties regarding the case lasted over an hour on Monday, yet a verdict remains pending.
The judge ruled that as long as Joel is in his uncle’s care, he could leave the youth facility operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, despite the ongoing deportation efforts.
Elizabeth Gyori, a senior attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union representing Joel, expressed relief at his release, emphasizing that ICE should never have detained him in the first place.
She stated, “By arresting a child with legal status during a routine check-in, ICE committed a flagrant act of brutality and violated U.S. law and the Constitution.” She added that if the Trump administration continues penalizing those adhering to regulations, legal challenges will persist.
Federal prosecutors have not provided comments on the case.
Recently, the city submitted legal briefs in support of Joel’s federal lawsuit against his detention and possible deportation.
