A judge has ordered the release by Thursday morning of Maria Betania Uzcategui-Castillo and her two stepchildren, Victor Uzcategui-Labrador Jr., 11, and Monserrat Uzcategui-Labrador, 8, from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dilley. The family, tied to Alamo Heights and San Antonio schools, has been at the South Texas Family Residential Center about 75 miles southwest of San Antonio while court filings and public statements unfold.

The court set a clear deadline for ICE to release the family from the Dilley facility, and required confirmation back to the judge by noon on Friday. That timetable forces a quick administrative response from ICE and puts the family’s immediate fate on a tight schedule. The order lands squarely on officials who handle detainee custody and case processing.

Maria and the children were detained April 27, which a family attorney noted was the stepmother’s birthday. The two youngsters attend Cambridge Elementary in the Alamo Heights Independent School District, making the detentions a flashpoint for neighbors and school officials. Parents and local leaders have been watching developments closely because children were involved.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch has publicly stated that Maria and Victor Uzcategui-Labrador Sr. both have valid legal status, a claim that complicates how the case is being handled. The Department of Homeland Security, however, has previously said the family does not have permanent legal status in the United States. Those conflicting accounts set up a legal tug-of-war over records and interpretations of immigration status.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) weighed in on social media, calling attention to how and where the family was detained, saying the Uzcategui-Labrador family will be released from the facility, “where they were locked away after being targeted at a school bus stop in San Antonio.” The post put pressure on federal officials and amplified community concern about enforcement tactics near children. Local elected officials used the message to demand answers and faster action.

From a conservative perspective, enforcement agencies must follow the law and ensure communities are safe, but they also have to avoid procedures that look heavy-handed when kids are involved. Law and order matters, and so does public confidence in how it is applied. Cases like this expose the tension between immigration enforcement and common-sense treatment of families in public settings.

The family has lived in San Antonio since 2021, and neighbors describe the situation as jarring for a quiet school neighborhood. ICE’s actions at a school bus stop drew immediate attention, and the optics have motivated local leaders to seek clarity. Whether the family stays together or faces further legal steps depends on how ICE responds to the judge’s deadline and what documentation the family can provide.

Court documents show ICE must report the family’s release status by a set time, and that official confirmation is required. That move adds transparency to the process, at least on paper, and gives the judge oversight over the agency’s compliance. Meanwhile, local officials and the school district are preparing for the possible return of the children to normal routines once the matter is resolved.

KSAT has reached out to ICE for comment. This story will be updated once we hear back.

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