Woman detained by ICE at Denver International Airport could be released on $3,000 bond
By Jennifer McRae
According to the attorneys for Chantal Rojas, the woman who was detained by ICE at Denver International Airport, she could be released on bond on Wednesday after a judge granted her a $3,000 bond on Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security said Rojas is originally from Ecuador and overstayed her visa in the U.S.
She was taken into ICE custody on July 20 and placed in the detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, according to DHS.
Last week’s interaction between Morales Rojas and DHS was captured on camera and quickly spread online.
The airport told CBS Colorado that, “As an airport, a number of federal agencies lawfully operate and have jurisdiction at DEN. As such, they are not required to inform the airport of their activity.”
The flight to Oakland was operated by Southwest Airlines, which said that TSA and DHS have access to all passenger information as part of their responsibilities in clearing passengers at security checkpoints.
Southwest added that the airline has “provided guidance to its employees to help ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement agencies prior to interactions in the gate areas. Southwest is committed to providing a safe travel experience for all Customers and Employees.”
The airline stated that it was not the one to tell DHS about Morales Rojas’ immigration status, and that the department receives that information through TSA. They also shared that the woman who recorded the video of the interaction did not leave on her original flight and was rebooked for a later flight. That passenger’s identity has not been released.
The lawyer for Morales Rojas, Laura Lichter, said Rojas entered the country on a J-1 visa. Lichter shared the following statement: “Chantal came to the United States lawfully in early 2023 on a J-1 exchange visitor visa as an au pair. She followed the rules of her program and, before it ended, timely filed an application with U.S. immigration authorities that allowed her to remain in the country while her case has been pending. For more than three years, she has continued to live here with federal authorization and has worked legally under employment authorization issued by the U.S. government.”
