African detainee finally released.

For nearly three weeks I have been working to effect the release of an African detainee from I.C.E. custody. Finally, late this morning he was released at the I.C.E. in the Loop.

He had been taken in custody after failing to register in January for classes at a community college in Palos Hills. After initial processing he was delivered to the McHenry County Jail for housing in the immigration wing. He phoned his landlady in the middle of the night. She did an internet search for information on the jail, which is about 80 miles from her home. During her search one of the results was for the Woodstock Advocate, and she found me.

Last Wednesday an Immigration Court judge set a $3,500 bond, and I was ready to bond him out on Friday after receiving the money from Africa. I had called I.C.E. on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, and no I.C.E. employee returned any of the calls. On Friday morning an I.C.E. agent called to tell me that they could not release him on Friday, because they had to know the day before.

No I.C.E. website information or voicemail directions inform viewers or callers of that prior-day's notice requirement. So the young man had to remain in detention for three additional days, because of sloppy office procedures at I.C.E.

So now the young man is out of custody and ready to get on with his life. I'll be available to help him with reinstatement of his student visa and his college enrollment.

Handling matters efficiently is a concept that doesn't seem to exist at I.C.E. It took 2 1/2 hours of waiting before he could be processed and released.

It will be interesting to see the reply I get to my two-page fax to Janet Napolitano last Friday.