U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Luis Fernando Cabrera, 18, after a Texas state trooper stopped him while driving home. The arrest occurred due to an expired vehicle registration. The Northeast Early College High School senior, who had an ongoing asylum case, was released just weeks before graduation. Cabrera's release was confirmed through a video shared by family members and separately by the Department of Homeland Security.
Cabrera's legal team had filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his release. The judge barred the deportation of Cabrera and gave the Department of Homeland Security until Friday to release him. On Thursday morning, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, told the Statesman that Cabrera 'will receive his full due process.'
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, celebrated the news, stating, 'Luis Fernando Cabrera belongs on the graduation stage, not in a detention facility.'
Cabrera's detention prompted rallies by classmates, family, friends, and even Austin FC fans. The family feared his deportation to Mexico. At the time of his arrest, Cabrera was helping support his sister and 2-year-old nephew.