Maryland mother arrested by ICE in December reunited with family, immigration attorney says AN ORDER ISSUED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE PROHIBITS DULCE CONSUELO DIAZ MORALES FROM BEING DEPORTED FOR NOW. RIGHT NOW, HER LAWYERS BELIEVE THAT SHE’S AT AN ICE DETENTION FACILITY IN TEXAS AFTER PREVIOUSLY BEING AT ONE IN LOUISIANA AND BRIEFLY HERE IN BALTIMORE. BUT HER FAMILY AND HER LAWYERS SAY SHE SHOULD NOT BE DETAINED AT ALL BECAUSE SHE’S A U.S. CITIZEN. THIS IS 22 YEAR OLD DULCE CONSUELO DIAZ MORALES, A MOTHER OF A FIVE YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY WHO WON’T GET TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH HER SON BECAUSE SHE’S IN ICE DETENTION. DULCE SISTER LUCIA SAYS HER SON CRIES FOR HIS MOTHER AND THEY’RE STRUGGLING TO COMFORT HIM. HE HAS NOT SEEN HIS MOTHER SINCE DECEMBER 14TH, WHEN THE FAMILY SAYS ICE ARRESTED DULCE, ANOTHER SISTER WHO WAS WITH HER SAYS THEY WERE COMING FROM TACO BELL WHEN ICE PULLED THEM OVER AND THAT ICE DID NOT PROVIDE REASON FOR THE ARREST, DESPITE THE PAIR TELLING OFFICERS DULCE IS A U.S. CITIZEN AND HER LAWYERS LATER PROVIDING PROOF, INCLUDING THIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND IMMUNIZATION RECORDS. I THINK THIS CASE IS CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING. ASSISTANT SECRETARY TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN SENT WBAL TV 11 NEWS A STATEMENT SAYING, QUOTE, DULCE CONSUELO MADRIGAL DIAZ IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN. SHE IS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN FROM MEXICO. SHE DID NOT PROVIDE A VALID U.S. BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR ANY EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF HER CLAIM THAT SHE IS A U.S. CITIZEN. ON DECEMBER 14TH, ICE ARRESTED THIS ILLEGAL ALIEN IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. ON OCTOBER 20TH, 2023, WHEN CBP ENCOUNTERED HER NEAR LUKEVILLE, ARIZONA, MADRIGAL DIAZ CLAIMED SHE WAS A CITIZEN OF MEXICO AND WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2003. SHE REMAINS IN ICE CUSTODY PENDING PROCEEDINGS. SLATON SAYS HER TEAM HAS PROVIDED PROOF. THEY ADMIT THAT DULCE SPENT TIME IN MEXICO AND CROSSED BACK INTO THE U.S. WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION BECAUSE OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. THEY BELIEVE THAT, AND CONFUSION OVER HER NAME IS THE SOURCE OF SOME OF THE ISSUE, BUT THEY SAY NONE OF THAT CHANGES THE FACT THAT SHE IS A U.S. CITIZEN AND SHOULD NOT SPEND THE HOLIDAYS IN DETENTION WITHOUT HER FAMILY. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THEM, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. DULCE’S LAWYERS SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER DIRECTLY. THEY SAY ICE HAS BEEN INTERFERING, BUT LEADERS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAY THAT IS NOT TRUE AND THAT ALL DETAINEES HAVE ACCESS TO PHONES TO CONTACT THEIR LAWYERS IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE. I’ Maryland mother arrested by ICE in December reunited with family, immigration attorney says Updated: 10:03 PM EST Jan 7, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ A 22-year-old Maryland mother arrested by ICE is back home, an immigration attorney told WBAL-TV 11 News.Dulce Consuelo Díaz Morales, who was arrested by ICE in Baltimore on Dec. 14, was reunited with her family after almost a month in ICE custody, according to Zachary Perez.Video above: DHS, lawyer dispute legal status of Maryland mother in ICE custody (Dec. 23, 2025)Perez said the reunification comes after the direct assistance of members of her legal team.Díaz Morales' lawyers and family asserted she was a U.S. citizen throughout her time in ICE custody.While Díaz Morales was away, her sister, Lucia Madrigal Díaz, told WRC-TV that Díaz Morales' son cried for his mother and the family had struggled to comfort him.Madrigal Díaz said ICE did not provide a reason for detaining Díaz Morales, and that ICE was even informed that she is a U.S. citizen. BALTIMORE —A 22-year-old Maryland mother arrested by ICE is back home, an immigration attorney told WBAL-TV 11 News.Dulce Consuelo Díaz Morales, who was arrested by ICE in Baltimore on Dec. 14, was reunited with her family after almost a month in ICE custody, according to Zachary Perez. Video above: DHS, lawyer dispute legal status of Maryland mother in ICE custody (Dec. 23, 2025)Perez said the reunification comes after the direct assistance of members of her legal team.Díaz Morales' lawyers and family asserted she was a U.S. citizen throughout her time in ICE custody.While Díaz Morales was away, her sister, Lucia Madrigal Díaz, told WRC-TV that Díaz Morales' son cried for his mother and the family had struggled to comfort him. Madrigal Díaz said ICE did not provide a reason for detaining Díaz Morales, and that ICE was even informed that she is a U.S. citizen.