ICE Detained Children at School Bus Stop and Judge Ordered Their Release

• ICE detained Venezuelan children
• Judge ordered immediate release
• Case triggered immigration criticism

A Venezuelan family detained by federal immigration agents at a school bus stop in Texas was released following an order from a federal judge.

Víctor Labrador, age 11, Montserrat Labrador, age 8, and their stepmother, María Betania Castillo, had been held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.

The detention center is located about 70 miles southwest of San Antonio.

ICE detained children in Texas and sparked criticism and legal ruling

The family was detained on April 27 while heading to a school bus stop in Alamo Heights.

• Why it matters: The case triggered criticism from immigration advocates and lawmakers because of the detention of young children near a school.

It also renewed attention on conditions inside the Dilley detention center and the increasing number of immigration-related lawsuits in federal courts.

Federal judge orders release of children detained by ICE

The release of the children detained by ICE came after a habeas corpus hearing held Wednesday.

Attorneys from the Lincoln-Goldfinch Law law firm requested the family’s immediate release.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch confirmed in a video statement that the federal judge ordered all three detainees released before 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Shortly after the release, Democratic Congressman Joaquín Castro spoke from Washington during a press conference.

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Castro said he hopes the government will not appeal the ruling.

“In most of the cases where judges have granted habeas corpus petitions, there has been no appeal, and I don’t believe the government has many strong arguments,” Castro stated.

The congressman also announced on social media that the family was already traveling back home to San Antonio.

School classmates sent letters of support

Víctor and Montserrat attend Cambridge Elementary School within the Alamo Heights Independent School District.

According to Castro, several fifth-grade classmates of Víctor wrote support letters after learning about the detention.

The United States Department of Homeland Security maintains that the Venezuelan family was detained after entering the United States illegally in 2021.

However, the Venezuelan family already had an asylum court hearing scheduled for 2027.

Attorney Lincoln-Goldfinch previously argued that the family had been properly following immigration procedures.

“They were doing everything correctly. This came as a complete and absolute surprise to them,” the attorney stated during a press conference earlier this month.

The case generated concern among immigration organizations and activists.

It also attracted national attention because two elementary school children were detained by ICE while heading to catch their school bus.

Immigration lawsuits continue increasing in federal courts

Advocates and lawmakers have continued denouncing alleged unsafe conditions inside the Dilley detention center.

They have also raised concerns regarding inadequate medical care for detainees.

The case comes amid a historic increase in immigration-related litigation within federal courts.

Data recently analyzed by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) showed that immigration-related lawsuits reached record levels in 2026.

The report identified a major increase in habeas corpus petitions.

These legal actions challenge the legality of immigration-related detentions.

TRAC stated that the increase coincides with the rapid expansion of immigration enforcement operations under President Donald Trump.

Those actions include arrests, detentions, and expedited deportations of immigrants.