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Judge Orders ICE to Bring Men Back, But They Were Released in Ohio
Volunteers helped the men buy bus tickets to return home to Massachusetts after being released in Ohio.
Published on Feb. 10, 2026
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Two men arrested by Border Patrol in Bethel, Maine and moved out of state were released from a jail in Ohio last week, despite a federal judge's orders that they be returned home to New England. Their attorney said volunteers from immigrant support groups helped them buy bus tickets so they could travel back to Massachusetts, where they have pending immigration court cases.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing issues with how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) handles the detention and transfer of immigrants, often in violation of court orders. It raises concerns about the due process rights of immigrants and the challenges they face in navigating the immigration system.
The details
U.S. District Judge John Woodcock had ordered on Jan. 28 that the two men, Elder Benjamin Ortiz Sintuj and Selvin Isais Situj Garcia, be flown back to Maine by Feb. 2, after learning ICE had sent them to a facility in Louisiana in violation of a temporary order. However, ICE instead released the men in Ohio on Feb. 3, leaving them stranded without a way to get home. Volunteers from immigrant support groups helped the men contact their families and buy bus tickets to return to Massachusetts.
- On Jan. 28, Judge Woodcock ordered ICE to return the men to Maine by Feb. 2.
- On Feb. 3, ICE released the men in Ohio, missing the court-ordered deadline.
The players
Judge John Woodcock
A U.S. District Judge who ordered ICE to return the two men to Maine.
Elder Benjamin Ortiz Sintuj
One of the two men arrested by Border Patrol in Bethel, Maine and moved out of state.
Selvin Isais Situj Garcia
One of the two men arrested by Border Patrol in Bethel, Maine and moved out of state.
Paula Esteves
The attorney representing the two men.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The federal agency that arrested, detained, and transferred the two men in violation of the court order.
What they’re saying
“They violated a federal court order, and even though my clients were released, they were released in the middle of Ohio. They had to figure out a way to go home.”
— Paula Esteves, Attorney (pressherald.com)
What’s next
Judge Woodcock ordered that ICE can't detain the men again without 48 hours notice to their attorney.
The takeaway
This case highlights ongoing issues with how ICE handles the detention and transfer of immigrants, often in violation of court orders, and the challenges immigrants face in navigating the immigration system and asserting their due process rights.
