Carmen Mejia, a 54-year-old mother from Honduras, was declared innocent Monday after spending 22 years in Texas prison for a wrongful murder conviction tied to a 2003 child death. A Travis County judge dismissed charges, citing new evidence proving she was actually innocent of scalding a 10-month-old with hot water. However, her immigration status lapsed during incarceration, triggering a deportation hold by ICE. **Judge P.
David Wahlberg urged federal authorities to consider her Temporary Protected Status and lack of criminal history before deciding her fate. ICE** has 48 hours to determine whether to release her or transfer her to immigration custody, a delay that could separate her from her four children, two of whom wrote emotional impact statements.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing