Kevin Moreno, a 16-year-old honors student at Maloney High School, returned home to Meriden, Connecticut, on Christmas Eve following six months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Texas.
“It’s not easy, and we’re all human, and we shouldn’t be treated like this,” Moreno said in Spanish, as attorney Maegan Faitsch translated. “I’m not just asking for help for me. I’m asking you all to continue supporting more people.”
He was ultimately released after attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition and a judge ordered the government to justify his detention—an explanation the Trump administration never provided.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump’s administration is moving ahead with what it says will be the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, part of a sweeping Republican push for mass expulsion.
Moreno was arrested with his father on June 3 during a routine check-in at ICE’s Hartford office, a move that quickly sparked backlash from elected officials and galvanized community and legal support.
What To Know
Moreno and his father were detained during a scheduled appointment at ICE’s office in downtown Hartford. They had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in February 2024, fleeing gang violence in Ecuador. According to federal court filings, Moreno had previously been kidnapped and shot at by gang members in Ecuador, where the same gang killed relatives.
The arrest sparked public criticism from officials including Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, all Democrats. Blumenthal attended Wednesday’s homecoming event and said he plans to invite Moreno to Washington, D.C., to speak with lawmakers.
“Americans should have a hard time recognizing what happened to Kevin,” Blumenthal said. “Because what happened to him is wrong.”
The Meriden event was attended by local officials, including the full state legislative delegation and members of the Meriden City Council and Board of Education. Democratic Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati told attendees, “He’s got an army behind him.”
Moreno had been scheduled to graduate in June. According to school officials, he was on track to finish early due to credits earned before arriving in the U.S. He was not able to attend the ceremony, but his aunt accepted his diploma in his absence.
After the arrest, ICE transferred Moreno and his father to the South Texas Family Detention Facility in Dilley. Because Moreno is a minor, he was later moved to a separate youth shelter operated by a nonprofit under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Moreno’s father was deported to Ecuador. Kevin is now under the legal guardianship of his aunt, appointed by a Connecticut probate court.
What People Are Saying
Blumenthal, to Fox61: “Kevin is going to be a much more powerful force in achieving justice than I could ever be speaking on the Senate floor. He is the face and voice of injustice.”
Jennifer Straub, principal of Francis T. Maloney High School, to CT Insider: “He came from his homeland, and he right away made a lot of friends, and he emerged as a leader in the student body.”
Tabitha Sookdeo, executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream, to CT Insider: “Kevin is an extraordinary young man, and we’re overjoyed to have him home for Christmas and his 17th birthday. Today we celebrate him and the Meriden community that stood by his side. Tomorrow, we continue the work to protect every young person facing unjust detention.”
What Happens Next
Moreno’s immigration case is ongoing, and he has applied for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, a designation that may lead to permanent residency.
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