Months after a federal immigration raid at a Cayuga County factory, a worker charged with illegally reentering the U.S. has been released while awaiting trial.
The Auburn Citizen reported Argentina Juarez-Lopez won her release Tuesday morning in Syracuse after a detention hearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Brenda Sannes. The hearing was requested by Juarez-Lopez’s attorney, Paul Tuck, following Sannes’ ruling to suppress certain evidence in the case.
In her decision, Judge Sannes criticized federal agents for how they conducted the raid, calling their actions “grossly negligent” and stating that Juarez-Lopez was subjected to an “unreasonable seizure” in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights.
Tuck confirmed in an email to The Citizen that Juarez-Lopez has been released on her criminal charges. However, because of an existing immigration detainer, she will be taken into custody by immigration officials.
The case has highlighted questions about how federal authorities carried out the raid at Nutrition Bar Confectioners, which involved the detention of 69 workers, most of whom were later found to be in the U.S. illegally. Five workers, including Juarez-Lopez, face charges of illegal reentry after being previously deported.
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