SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Hanne Daguman was arrested by ICE officers last week at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in downtown San Diego as she showed up for an appointment related to her legal resident status application.
She had been held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center ever since.
On Monday afternoon, after a week filled with anxiety, stress, and the uncertainty of being deported back to Norway, Daguman intently listened as a judge ordered she be released from custody while her case makes its way through the court system.
“It’s the biggest relief ever,” said Hanne’s husband, Joshua, after the hearing.
Hanne first came to the U.S. on a student visa four years ago.
After graduating, she got a work visa that expired as she awaited to get married to Joshua in October of last year.
When the couple arrived for a scheduled appointment at the USCIS office on Oct. 17, the interviewer discovered Hanne was not under visa protection and signaled for agents to come in and arrest the 24-year-old from Norway.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Joshua told Border Report just two hours after his wife had been taken into custody.
Since then, he hired an attorney, got friends, relatives and the community to rally behind his wife lobbying for her release.
“Everyone has been terrific, I can’t thank them enough,” he said outside the Otay Mesa Detention Center after a judge granted bail for Hanne.
“She sent me a text saying to thank everyone. She was happy. She wasn’t crying, she was strong,” Joshua said. “To see the relief coming off her face, to see my wife finally light up for the first time in quite some time is special.”
Hanne is expected to be released from custody Tuesday morning or afternoon after Joshua posts the $1,500 bail and completes paperwork related to her case.
ICE also has to approve the release.
“It’s a mix of emotions of anger, happiness just relief,” Josh said.