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Transgender asylum seeker released from ICE custody following order from federal judge in Oregon
OREGON, UNITED STATES, JUL 16 – Federal judge ruled ICE violated due process by detaining a transgender asylum seeker without timely legal updates, ordering release after over 40 days in an all-male facility.
On July 14, 2025, a 24-year-old Mexican transgender asylum seeker known as O-J-M was ordered to be released from the Tacoma ICE center by a federal court in Oregon due to violations of her procedural due process rights.
O-J-M was detained over 40 days after being arrested in early June at a Portland immigration court, following a judge's dismissal of her asylum case.
Her attorneys state she fled Mexico due to abduction and rape by cartel members targeting her for gender identity, and sought asylum in September 2023 while complying with ICE check-ins.
U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio ruled that ICE deprived O-J-M of liberty without proper procedural safeguards, noting her confinement in a men's facility with solitary confinement for safety.
Her release highlights legal challenges surrounding asylum seekers’ rights and detention conditions, emphasizing that seeking asylum is lawful and due process must be ensured.