She filed a civil rights lawsuit against Frederick County.
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) – A Salvadoran woman who successfully sued a Maryland county for wrongful profiling and arrest has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a routine check-in.
News outlets report Roxana Orellana Santos was detained Tuesday, less than a week before a court date to determine the extent of damages Frederick County owes.
A federal judge wrote in 2017 that it was crucial Santos remained in the country until the case was settled.
Civil rights attorney Jose Perez says the timing is “clearly suspect” and intended to “punish her and deter others.”
Deputies approached Santos as she ate lunch in 2008 and arrested her on an outstanding immigration warrant. A judge ruled the county is liable for the policy permitting deputies to detain people suspected of violating immigration law.
By The Associated Press