Detained lawsuit victor wins restraining order against ICE

FREDERICK, Md. – A Salvadoran woman who was detained during a routine check-in after successfully suing a Maryland county for wrongful profiling and arrest has won a restraining order against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Baltimore Sun reports a federal judge on Monday issued the order, directing ICE not to remove Roxana Orellana Santos from the United States. Attorney Nicholas Katz says the order is a “positive first step” toward her release.

Santos was detained by ICE on Jan. 8, less than a week before a hearing to determine the extent of damages Frederick County owes in the lawsuit.

Deputies approached Santos as she ate lunch in 2008 and arrested her on an outstanding immigration warrant. The county was found liable for the policy permitting deputies to detain people suspected of violating immigration law.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com