CHICAGO (WGN) – A Chicago Public Schools student spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday evening after being released from ICE custody on Tuesday afternoon.Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete told reporters cameras make him nervous, but he’s glad to share his story. While sitting in detention, he heard so many cases like his of people waiting in custody for months. He and his mother praise God and the community for bringing them home.WGN-TV was told Ricardo had an ICE check-in appointment on Wednesday. He said while his asylum case moves through the court, he will now have to wear a wrist monitor, but he said he prefers wearing the monitor than being locked up at the detention center he was being held at in Kentucky. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: CPS student detained by ICE released from federal custody Ricardo said his faith kept him hopeful he would be released. That became a reality on Tuesday when he and his mother were reunited at a gas station in Crown Point, Indiana. He also made it back in time to attend his graduation from Mather High School on Thursday and said he’s looking forward to walking the stage with his classmates.“I just want to be with my family and play soccer,” Ricardo said. “We can do everything with God. We are nothing without Him.”His mother, Martha Liliana Navarrete, said she praises God for the miracle of her son’s release and is thankful for all the people that have helped them. She said her dream is to see her son grow up and be triumphant after all they’ve been through. Ricardo is also looking forward to making up for lost time with his friends and family and said he remains strong in his faith that his dream of going to college in the fall comes true. The whole battle started when Ricardo and Martha were arrested in mid-March during a status hearing at the South Loop-area federal building.Their attorney, Kelli Fennell, said they arrived in the U.S. in 2022, seeking asylum from Colombia.Ricardo and Martha were put in separate detention facilities in Kentucky. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Fennell told WGN-TV that neither Ricardo nor Martha Liliana had any criminal problems since they arrived in the U.S.On Tuesday, May 19, a federal judge in Kentucky ordered Martha Liliana released on a writ of habeas corpus.Then on Tuesday, May 26, the family’s spokesperson confirmed to WGN-TV that Ricardo had been released from federal custody. WGN-TV cameras were rolling when he was reunited with his mother at a gas station in Crown Point, Indiana.The case also get the attention of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who called for their release in a speech on the Senate floor. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.