NEWARK, NEW JERSEY — Latif Hafraoui, a Moroccan national married to U.S. citizen Sandra Hafraoui, was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Newark, New Jersey, after 108 days. An immigration judge vacated a deportation order issued in absentia 16 years earlier after determining the original court notice was sent to an incorrect address.
Hafraoui was detained by ICE in August 2025 at an airport while traveling to Florida with his wife. He was held primarily at Delaney Hall in Newark and also at facilities in Louisiana and Arizona. During his detention, he spent 10 days in solitary confinement after refusing deportation. He said guards at Delaney Hall physically abused detainees and stated, "These guys don’t go by the book of law. They treat immigrants like animals, like we have no rights." He described his confinement as torture.
The same immigration judge who issued the original deportation order reversed it while Hafraoui remained in custody. The rescheduled bond hearing was successful one week after an initial postponement, and a $15,000 bond was posted with assistance from immigrant rights organizations. Following his release, he wore an ankle monitor for three months. Two weeks after returning home, he still felt tension in his arms and chest and was unable to sleep through the night.
Sandra Hafraoui attended the bond hearing via Zoom from a lawyer’s office. After the initial postponement, she called a friend and said, "They didn’t let him out. They didn’t let him out." During a visit to Delaney Hall, she observed her husband's physical and mental state deteriorate and later asked, "My god, what did they do to him?" She began using electronic cigarettes to manage anxiety, saying, "I know this is terrible for me. Latif will hate it when he finds out. But I need something to help me calm down." She placed notecards with Bible verses in her home for strength and said, "When I’m afraid, these crosses remind me of God’s presence."
Upon his return, a banner welcomed Hafraoui home, with balloons and signs his wife had prepared. "When the guards told me I was being released, all the other guys started cheering for me and coming to hug me," he said. He added, "I think they see me as a hope." Sandra Hafraoui said the couple is facing a pile of debt after his detention and stated, "I feel such a great relief that he’s home now. But I also feel a sadness that I can’t shake." The couple has applied for his green card as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.