Dulce Díaz Morales, a mother of three and Maryland resident, is finally out of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. She had been in detention for 25 days when released. Her release follows an extraordinary legal challenge, mounted by her attorneys, which found that detention was improper because she is indeed a U.S. citizen. ICE arrested Díaz Morales on December 14, 2022 during an operation that targets the immigrant population. She had, like many people, entered the United States earlier that year.
Díaz Morales is a naturalized citizen of Mexico. In early 2023, she fled to the U.S., seeking refuge from growing cartel violence back home. If, when she arrived, she didn’t have the right paperwork, though, she could end up being incorrectly processed as an immigrant. Despite telling her story to government officials and trying to show proof of her U.S. citizenship, she wasn’t trusted.
Her lawyers filed proof of her citizenship, including her U.S. birth certificate, refuting the charges against her. This documentation verified that she was born in Maryland and thus is a U.S. citizen. The U.S. birth and death records indicate her father’s last name, but her mother’s last name. She went by her mother’s maiden name while in Mexico.
The ongoing legal fight regarding Díaz Morales’ detention highlights the often confusing and opaque nature of immigration proceedings. It’s painting a fascinating picture of the hardships people like him experience.
“In my years now of being an immigration attorney, I have never had to go this far for a case.” – Zachary Pérez
Díaz Morales’ attorneys fought hard to prevent her detention. They stressed that her citizenship status should have precluded any arrest, to begin with. They filed an emergency court order calling ICE’s actions into question, which contributed to her release.
Following her release, Dulce Díaz Morales thanked the many people who stood by her side during the ordeal. Her lawyer, Renee Nicole Good, said that in spite of it all, Díaz Morales continued to be upbeat and positive.
“fine” and “I’m not mad at you” – Renee Nicole Good
Now Díaz Morales is in the process of applying for a U.S. passport. This final step will reveal whether she really has become a citizen in name as well as substance. Her case sheds light on the continued dangers and cruelty of immigration enforcement. It further opens a window into the multifaceted ties that bind citizenship to legal status.
The circumstances of her detention justifiably raises serious questions. It shows how people with legit claims to citizenship end up ensnared in the immigration enforcement dragnet. The case highlights the need for greater training and public awareness among authorities to avoid similar tragedies in the future.