In Bethesda, Maryland, ICE has taken custody of 19‑year‑old University of Maryland freshman Maria Jose Flores Garcia and her mother, Mirna Aracely Garcia Cabrera, with plans to deport them to Mexico. The pair were detained on Nov. 5 during a routine ICE check‑in in Baltimore and are now held at a detention center in Louisiana.
Legal background
Flores Garcia arrived in the United States from El Salvador in 2019 at age nine. She excelled academically, graduating as valedictorian of Parkdale High School’s class of 2016 in Prince George’s County and earning a full scholarship to study public health at UMD with the goal of becoming an emergency‑room doctor.
Both women were placed in removal proceedings when they first entered the country. On Feb. 23, 2021, a Baltimore immigration judge granted them protection under the Convention Against Torture, a safeguard for individuals who would likely face torture if returned to their home country. The judge simultaneously entered a final order of removal but barred the government from carrying it out.
Trump‑era policy shift
Attorney Justice Haynes of Murray Osorio PLLC explains that the Department of Homeland Security never appealed the 2021 ruling, allowing the family to work legally and maintain stability. However, a March 2025 DHS policy—adopted during the Trump administration—authorizes third‑country removals, sending individuals with protection orders to nations where they have no ties. Under this policy, ICE now seeks to send Flores Garcia and her mother to Mexico, a country that routinely buses Salvadoran deportees back to El Salvador.
Haynes warns that this move undermines the court‑ordered protection, stating, “The judge’s order says ICE can’t send Maria and Mirna to El Salvador. So ICE wants to send them to a country that will.” He emphasizes that the family complied fully with ICE check‑ins and that deporting them without a new hearing violates due process.
Local response
Local and state leaders have condemned the action, calling for the immediate release of both women. They argue that immigration enforcement should focus on individuals who pose a public‑safety threat, not families with deep community roots and no criminal records.
Haynes and the legal team are urging ICE to release the pair and allow them a fair hearing before any removal is considered.
What’s next?
ICE has not yet commented on the plan. The family’s attorneys are prepared to challenge the third‑country removal in court, citing the 2021 protection order and the potential violation of due process rights.
Original reporting: Arlington County | FOX 5 DC — read the source article.
