Wife of U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk pilot released from Texas ICE facility
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez, wife of U.S. Army Reserve pilot Chris Busby, was released from ICE detention in Houston after four months following a federal judge's ruling that her due process rights were violated.
- Kenny-Velasquez, originally from Venezuela, had applied for asylum in 2021 and was detained during a routine immigration check despite her pending case and ties to Texas, including her marriage and family.
- During detention, Kenny-Velasquez experienced harsh conditions such as shared bathrooms without privacy, poor food, anxiety attacks, and close quarters with about 60 other detainees from various countries.
- Her husband, Chris Busby, worked extensively with lawyers and officials to secure her release, eventually succeeding through a habeas petition that challenged her detention in federal court.
- Now reunited, the couple awaits Kenny-Velasquez’s asylum hearing scheduled for 2027 while pursuing options for permanent residency and parole-in-place programs to secure her legal status in the U.S.
