Family

After nearly two months in a Kentucky immigration detention center, Attorney Mark Christopher says Elvira Benitez Suarez has been released.

Benitez has lived in the United States for the last 35 years, first coming to the US at 15 years old as a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence. Christopher says Benitez was in the process of getting her green card. 

Her case stemmed from a family vacation last July when they accidentally took a wrong exit, ending up in Canada. Benitez and her husband were detained for six months. An immigration judge conceded her cancellation of removal case as it caused "unusual hardship" to her children, but in March that decision was appealed by the US government.

A statement from Attorney Mark Christopher on Tuesday said in part:

"Elvira was not hiding from the law. She followed the legal process. She fought her case in Immigration Court. She prevailed. An Immigration Judge granted her lawful permanent resident status through legal means after reviewing the evidence and determining she qualified for relief under United States immigration law.

Yet despite winning her case, Elvira remained incarcerated in immigration detention for months while the government continued to pursue her case on appeal.

The family has created a GoFundMe to help pay for legal costs. You can find it here.