Kevin Moreno, a 16-year-old honors student at Maloney High School, returned to Meriden, Connecticut, on Christmas Eve after spending 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.”
Moreno was released after his attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition and a judge ordered the government to explain the legal basis for his detention—an explanation the Trump administration did not provide in court filings.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump’s administration says it is pressing ahead with what it describes as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, part of a broader Republican push for mass removals.
Moreno’s case drew attention after he was arrested alongside his father on June 3 during a routine check-in at ICE’s Hartford office—an action that sparked public backlash from elected officials and rallied community and legal support.
What To Know
Moreno and his father were detained during a scheduled appointment at ICE’s downtown Hartford office. They crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in February 2024, fleeing gang violence in Ecuador. Federal court filings state Moreno had previously been kidnapped and shot at by gang members, and that the same gang killed relatives.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy—each a Democrat—publicly criticized the detention. Blumenthal attended Moreno’s homecoming event this week and said he plans to invite Moreno to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers.
“Americans should have a hard time recognizing what happened to Kevin,” Blumenthal said. “Because what happened to him is wrong.”
The Meriden gathering drew local leaders, including state legislators and members of the Meriden City Council and Board of Education. Democratic Mayor Kevin Scarpati told attendees, “He’s got an army behind him.”
Moreno had been scheduled to graduate in June. School officials said he was on track to finish early because of credits earned before arriving in the U.S. He missed the ceremony, and his aunt accepted his diploma in his place.
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 run by a nonprofit contractor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Moreno’s father was deported to Ecuador. Moreno 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. He has applied for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, a designation that may provide a pathway to lawful permanent residency.
