Mother Returns Home After Immigration Detention in Oregon
A mother from Albany, Oregon, is finally reunited with her family after spending four months in immigration detention. The release followed a federal judge’s order, which came on a Thursday, although she wasn’t freed until the following morning.
Maria Trinidad Loya Medina had been detained at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Northwest Processing Center in Tacoma since her arrest on January 10. Her detention began while she was purchasing soccer socks for her son outside a Big 5 sporting goods store in Albany.
On May 7, Magistrate Judge Grady L. Leupold granted Loya Medina’s second habeas petition, issuing an order for her immediate release from custody. Her son, 16-year-old Cristian, expressed his relief and gratitude upon learning about his mother’s release.
Loya Medina’s detention, part of a larger crackdown that resulted in over 1,000 arrests in Oregon between the fall of 2025 and early 2026, had a devastating impact on her family. She was the primary caregiver for her husband, Serapio, who experienced a stroke just a month before her arrest. Additionally, her 14-year-old daughter, Valeria, faced depression following the separation from her mother.
Having lived in the United States for over two decades without any criminal record, Loya Medina’s case raised significant concerns regarding her treatment. Judge Leupold determined that a Tacoma immigration judge had “abused his discretion” by denying her bail in February. He noted that no reasonable decision-maker, when presented with the facts of her case, would justify such a denial.
In his ruling, Judge Leupold pointed out that continued detention would cause “irreparable harm” to Loya Medina and her family. He highlighted the negative impact her absence had on their financial stability and family dynamics, particularly her role as caregiver during a time of crisis.
Initially, Loya Medina’s request for a bail hearing was denied by an immigration court in Tacoma. After filing her first habeas petition on January 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, she successfully prompted a court-ordered hearing. However, during a brief 15-minute bail hearing in February, the immigration judge labeled her a flight risk, a determination based on an incident involving her slow exit from the car during her arrest.
Judge Leupold later affirmed that Loya Medina did not exhibit any threatening behavior towards the officers and had initially hesitated due to confusion. He concluded that her actions did not indicate a risk of flight. Reiterating the flaws in the immigration court’s treatment of her case, he ruled for her immediate release rather than subjecting her to another bail hearing.
According to her attorney, Jose Miranda, the case highlights the excessive nature of her detention, which he characterized as unjust. While a federal judge ordered her release, Loya Medina’s immigration case remains under appeal. In February, the same immigration judge denied her request to revoke a deportation order, a matter still pending with the Board of Immigration Appeals, which has not yet updated the status of her case.
Serapio Herrera, Loya Medina’s husband, expressed profound relief at her homecoming, stating in Spanish that words cannot capture their happiness. The family is now hopeful for a brighter future together.
