9-year-old asylum-seeker released from ICE detention to attend state spelling bee
Mar 25, 2026·Location: Las Cruces, NM
Country of origin: Colombia

Deiver Henao Jimenez, a 9-year-old asylum-seeker from Colombia, was detained with his parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas beginning in early March after a routine immigration check-in in New Mexico. His elementary school principal sent officials a letter describing him as a dedicated student with excellent attendance and high marks, and community activists pushed for his release so he could compete in New Mexico's state spelling bee after placing third in a regional Spanish spelling competition. Following a video call in which he pleaded with children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, and about a week after his attorney, Corey Sullivan Martin, filed for humanitarian parole, ICE released the family. Deiver is now eager to return to school and rejoin his gifted and talented classes.
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