Inés Gómez Mont immigration detention habeas corpus ruling, Digi Mart USA News (Florida, United States): The immigration legal situation of Inés Gómez Mont in the United States took a new turn after a federal judge rejected the appeal her defense filed to challenge her immigration detention in Florida. However, an alternative remains open that could allow the Mexican television host to leave the detention center while her immigration proceedings continue.
According to information published by Univisión, Judge Jeffrey T. Kuntz of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that the defense could not use a habeas corpus petition to claim that immigration authorities had denied her a review of her detention.
The judge reasoned that she had not previously requested a hearing before the appropriate authorities.
The ruling, issued Thursday, November 5, is not a definitive denial of Gómez Mont’s ability to regain her freedom. On the contrary, it acknowledges that she has the right to request a review of the conditions of her detention and to ask that she be allowed to leave on bond.
Why was the habeas corpus petition rejected? The defense’s petition sought to have a federal court review the legality of her immigration detention and determine whether there were grounds to keep her in custody.
However, the judge concluded that her attorneys must first exhaust the administrative mechanism provided under U.S. immigration law, which allows a request for a hearing to evaluate the possibility of release on bond.
According to the court file, agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the former television host on October 30.
On November 3, she received an official notice informing her of two reasons authorities consider she does not meet the immigration requirements to remain in the country.
