A transgender asylum seeker identified as O-J-M was released from a Washington state ICE detention facility after a federal judge’s order in Oregon on July 15, 2025. O-J-M crossed the U.S. border in September 2023 after surviving gender-based violence and faced detention without clear evidence or due process, prompting legal challenges by nonprofit attorneys.
O-J-M was held over 40 days at an ICE facility in Tacoma, regularly complied with check-ins, was arrested in Portland in early June, and faced dismissal of her immigration case by a judge’s order. U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio ruled that ICE deprived O-J-M of liberty without procedural due process, while Innovation Law Lab called the release a recognition that she deserves freedom during her ongoing case.
The release suggests judicial pushback against ICE’s detention practices for vulnerable asylum seekers and may contribute to broader debates about immigration enforcement and due process rights.
