Immigration judge issues ruling in Maryland woman's deportation case

Josh Davis, Baltimore Sun on Jan 9, 2026

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BALTIMORE — A federal immigration judge on Friday denied bond for an Eastern Shore woman arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in December, keeping her detained as deportation proceedings move forward, her attorney said.

Vanessa Parrazal, 24, has been in federal immigration custody since Dec. 17 and is currently held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana. Her attorney, Marlena Konopka of Portner & Shure, said the judge rejected arguments that Parrazal posed no flight risk or danger to the community.

“It’s very devastating that the mountain of evidence speaking to her good moral character and her strong familial and community ties was not properly considered,” Konopka said.

Parrazal’s husband, Aaron Downes, said he had a chance to speak with his wife after the hearing and she’s “doing as good as anybody can.”

He also wanted to know what evidence the government has that categorizes Vanessa as a flight risk or a threat to the community.

“They claim that everybody is a danger to the community and a significant flight risk,” Downes said. “They have no proof that or no probable cause that Vanessa is a significant flight risk. They say it just to say it.”

ICE officials did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday.

More about the case

Parrazal was taken into custody in December after dropping off her 5-year-old daughter at Pinehurst Elementary School in Salisbury. Witnesses said ICE agents surrounded her vehicle, smashed its windows and arrested her. She was initially held in Baltimore before being transferred to Louisiana.

In statements to The Baltimore Sun, ICE has previously described Parrazal as “a criminal illegal alien from Mexico with a prior conviction for second-degree assault” and said she has no legal status in the United States. Court records show the charge stemmed from an argument with her mother, which was later reduced to a misdemeanor and ultimately dropped for lack of evidence.

Those same court records list Parrazal as 4-foot-10, weighing about 100 pounds — details critics have pointed to as evidence that excessive force was used during the arrest.

Under U.S. immigration law, even misdemeanor offenses can trigger deportation proceedings for noncitizens, particularly if classified as a “crime of moral turpitude,” a category that can include offenses such as theft, fraud, drug crimes or domestic violence. In the original police report, the assault allegation was labeled as domestic violence.

Next steps begin Monday

The next hearing, scheduled for Monday, is expected to formally begin deportation proceedings. At that hearing, the immigration judge will outline the charges and explain the process. Parrazal’s attorney, along with her friends and family, said they have not yet been informed of the specific charges being pursued.

After the charges are presented, Parrazal is expected to enter a plea through her attorney, and the judge will set a future hearing date. At that time, her legal team plans to argue why she should be allowed to remain in the country, saying there is no criminal case here.

“She’s being detained for her removal proceedings. It is not a criminal charge, just immigration proceedings to determine if she can remain in the United States while she waits for the adjudication of her family petition by her U.S. citizen spouse,” Konopka said.

Konopka has previously told The Sun that Parrazal was in the process of seeking legal status when she was arrested. Parrazal is married to a U.S. citizen. While marriage does not automatically confer legal status, it can provide a pathway to apply for permanent residency. Her husband Downes had already filed a petition, and the family was awaiting the next stage of paperwork.

In earlier interviews, immigration officials told The Sun that the permanent legal resident process can take up to 18 months.

A GoFundMe started by Watkins to help cover legal costs had raised more than $9,500 as of Friday morning.

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