Lawyer says ICE won’t release man despite judge dismissing the case

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A judge has dismissed the case against a man detained by ICE agents in New Bedford in April, but he has not been released amid debate over a paperwork technicality, according to his lawyer.

On April 14, Juan Francisco Méndez was taken into custody by ICE in New Bedford. Video taken by Méndez’s wife showed an ICE agent smashing a car window to detain him.

According to Méndez’s lawyer, Méndez had his hearing but ICE “refuses to acknowledge it because it happened under a different [A-Number.]” She added that an A-Number is assigned to anyone who files with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or is detained by ICE.

As a result, the lawyer said ICE will not release Méndez’s because they claim he did not have a hearing.

According to the lawyer, the “mishap” occurred because either ICE did not give the court the correct number, or the court made a mistake in the A-Number they docketed the hearing under.

The attorney said ICE requested for another hearing to take place on May 22, but the Institute for Justice scheduled a bond hearing for May 15 under the first A-Number “just in case.”

Méndez’s lawyer will argue for his release on May 15.