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Maryland-born mother detained 25 days by ICE despite proof of US citizenship

Jun 17, 2026·Location: Baltimore, MD

Country of origin: Mexico

Maryland-born mother detained 25 days by ICE despite proof of US citizenship
Photo via thebanner.com

Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, a 22-year-old mother born in Laurel, Maryland, was detained by ICE near her Baltimore home on December 14, 2025, stemming from a 2023 CBP encounter in Arizona where she was recorded claiming Mexican citizenship. Despite her family and attorneys presenting a Maryland birth certificate, hospital birth records, and fingerprints, DHS maintained she was not a citizen and pursued removal proceedings against her. A federal judge blocked her deportation days after her arrest, but she remained in custody for 25 days, transferred five times through facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and New Jersey, spending Christmas away from her young son. She was released on January 7, 2026, with an ankle monitor and reunited with her 5-year-old son. Her attorneys maintained the documentation clearly established her citizenship. On June 17, 2026, DHS dismissed her deportation case after confirming her birth in Maryland, and she obtained a U.S. passport.

Timeline

Jun 17, 2026—DHS dismissed her deportation case after confirming her Maryland birth; she obtained a U.S. passport
Jan 7, 2026—Released from custody with an ankle monitor and reunited with her son
Dec 25, 2025—Spent Christmas in ICE custody, away from her young son, after being transferred multiple times including to Louisiana
Dec 18, 2025—Federal judge blocked her deportation
Dec 14, 2025—Detained by ICE near her Baltimore home
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