Family seeks release of Portland-area mother after ICE detention criticized as egregious by advocates and lawyers

Case centers on border-area detention and continued custody at Tacoma facility

A Portland-area family and immigration advocates are pressing for the release of Kenia Jackeline “Jackie” Merlos, a Honduran national and mother of four U.S.-citizen children, after months in federal immigration custody that attorneys and supporters have described as an “egregious” detention. Merlos was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, following a sequence of detentions that began near the U.S.-Canada border in late June 2025.

Records and court filings tied to the case indicate Merlos and her children were taken into custody June 28, 2025, at Peace Arch State Park in Washington while the family was visiting relatives. The setting—a park adjacent to the international boundary—became a focal point of the dispute as advocates argued the family was held in conditions not designed for extended confinement before transfers into the immigration detention system.

Children released; mother remained in custody as legal fight continued

After weeks of public attention and emergency legal action, Merlos’ four children were released from federal custody to a family friend. Merlos, however, remained detained and was transferred to Tacoma, where many immigration detainees from the Pacific Northwest are held while cases proceed through immigration court or related federal proceedings.

Legal documents filed on Merlos’ behalf sought court intervention through a habeas petition challenging the legality of her continued detention. The filings also referenced her pending U visa process, a pathway created by Congress for certain crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement. Supporters have argued that the posture of her immigration case, including developments in immigration court, undercut the rationale for continued confinement.

Release followed court action, but concerns remain about detention practices

Merlos was ultimately released in late October 2025, reuniting with her children after roughly four months in immigration custody. Her release came amid sustained advocacy from elected officials, attorneys, and community groups who raised due-process and humanitarian concerns.

More broadly, the case drew renewed attention to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, a privately operated facility that has long been the subject of oversight complaints and litigation over detention conditions and the length of confinement. Recent reporting and public statements by officials describing detention trends in the region have emphasized the expanding scale of immigration enforcement and the practical consequences for families, including separation and prolonged detention while legal claims are pending.

What the case illustrates

• How border-area encounters can lead to extended immigration detention, even for families with U.S.-citizen children.
• The central role of habeas petitions and emergency court orders in challenging custody decisions.
• Ongoing scrutiny of detention conditions and detention duration at the Tacoma facility, which serves as a key hub for the Pacific Northwest.

The family’s demand throughout the case was consistent: release Merlos so she could return to her children while her immigration process continued.

As immigration enforcement remains a dominant national issue, Merlos’ case has been cited by advocates as an example of how detention decisions can intersect with mixed-status families, pending humanitarian immigration protections, and the limits of oversight in a system that relies heavily on detention during civil immigration proceedings.