ICE illegally detained woman at LaGuardia Airport before Thanksgiving, New York federal judge rules
A New York City woman was illegally detained by federal immigration officials for nearly two weeks after being taken into custody at LaGuardia Airport, a federal judge in New York ruled.
Aissatou Diallo, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement just before Thanksgiving, was nearly in tears Friday after the judge ordered her immediate release.
Woman fled Guinea over 20 years ago
Diallo, a grandmother and home health aide from Queens, was detained at LaGuardia on Nov. 25 while traveling to see her son in Texas, we're told.
The 55-year-old was held at Federal Plaza in New York City and facilities in Texas, Louisiana and New Jersey before Friday's emotional hearing, after which she was able to walk out of the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
"Ms. Diallo was lucky because she comes from a very hearty activist family and was able to quickly mobilize support. This is not the case for everyone," said Murad Awawdeh, president of New York Immigration Coalition.
Diallo fled her home country of Guinea sometime around 2001 out of fear of political persecution.
"The government acknowledged in 2012 that she could not be deported to her country because she feared persecution or torture there," immigration attorney Rosa Cohen-Cruz said.
Help from immigration and community advocates
Diallo's niece, Adama Bah, founded the nonprofit Afrikana and is part of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team.
Bah said she fought tirelessly to get her aunt home with help from immigration and community advocates.
"I've been doing this work for 20 years, and I'm always calling families and saying, 'Hey, your relative has been detained.' And this time it was my sister who called me and said I think Aunty is detained," Bah said.
"There's no reason that grandmother should have been shackled in a courtroom, or that grandmother should have been detained for weeks," New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
In addition to Diallo's immediate release, the judge ruled the government cannot try to detain her again.
ICE has not responded to CBS News New York's request for comment on this story.