HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Valentina G. and Naythan: Asylum-seeking mother and U.S. citizen infant held in hotel by ICE

Colombian asylum seeker Valentina Galvis and her infant son, a U.S. citizen, were detained after a Chicago court hearing and held in an O'Hare hotel room for five days.

Jun 9, 2025Chicago, ILCountry of origin: Colombia

Valentina G. and Naythan: Asylum-seeking mother and U.S. citizen infant held in hotel by ICE
Photo via Injustice Watch

Valentina Galvis, a Colombian asylum seeker, went to Chicago Immigration Court on June 5, 2025, expecting a hearing after her husband Camilo had been granted asylum in the same court two weeks earlier; the couple had fled far-right paramilitary violence in Colombia in 2022, and Galvis had survived a brutal assault by the group. Instead, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss her case, and plainclothes agents detained her immediately after she left the courtroom. Galvis and her seven-month-old son Naythan, a U.S. citizen, were taken by ICE contractor MVM Inc. to a Sonesta hotel near O'Hare Airport, where they were confined to a two-room suite for five days under constant guard, with the phone removed and no information given about their whereabouts. ICE's online locator falsely showed Galvis being held more than 700 miles away in Washington, D.C. Her attorney filed a habeas corpus petition, and a judge ordered she not be removed from Illinois, but ICE did not inform her of this. She was released on the fifth day to ICE's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office and fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet; her asylum case dismissal is now on appeal with a new case pending.

Timeline

Jun 9, 2025—Released after five days of hotel detention, transferred to ICE supervision office and fitted with electronic monitor
Jun 5, 2025—Detained by plainclothes ICE agents after Chicago immigration court hearing was dismissed; taken with infant son to Sonesta hotel near O'Hare
Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Tags

Sources

Similar Incidents

Loading…

More incidents in Illinois