Just hours after returning to Maine from San Antonio, Texas, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) shared news that a federal district court judge has ordered Olivia Andre's release from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in Dilley, Texas. According to Olivia's lawyer, Elora Mukherjee, the judge's order states she must be released by no later than Friday, May 8.

"I am overwhelmed with joy and relief that Olivia will finally be released and reunited with her family. Yesterday, I sat with Olivia in Dilley and heard how she struggled through every second of her time in detention. Words cannot describe how heartbreaking it was to leave knowing she was still trapped there in utter despair. Olivia should never have been left locked away in Dilley, far from her family, her community, and the life she was building in Portland. But today, after six months of fear, pain, and uncertainty, Olivia is finally coming home," Pingree said. "Olivia's release is a testament to the power of public pressure, persistent advocacy, and the simple truth that no one seeking safety should be subjected to this kind of needless cruelty. Now, ICE must release Olivia without delay so she can be reunited with her family and begin to heal where she belongs: at home in Maine."

"I just spoke with Olivia. She is overwhelmed with emotion to learn that she will be coming home to Maine. Olivia and her family should never have been detained. The federal court ordered her release because the Trump administration had no lawful basis for detaining her. She suffered in detention for six months in violation of federal law and the U.S. Constitution's protections. Her mental and physical health deteriorated during this time because she did not have access to sufficient clean drinking water, palatable food, or appropriate medical care," Mukherjee said. "All children and families should be released from Dilley immediately. There are cost-effective and humane alternatives to detaining children and families. Protecting children from needless cruelty is not an enormous ask. Our humanity demands it of us."

On Tuesday, Pingree-along with colleagues U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Christian Menefee (D-Texas), and Mark Takano (D-Calif.)-conducted an official oversight visit of the Dilley detention center. They had the opportunity to meet with more than 60 people detained there and heard firsthand accounts of their treatment and the facility conditions. Pingree met with Olivia during the visit.

Olivia and her family are asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and have been living in Portland, where Olivia was a first-year nursing student. The rest of her family-mother Carine Balenda Mbizi; brother Joel Andre, 16; and sister Estafania Andre, 14-were released from the Dilley Processing Center in March.

Pingree previously conducted oversight visits of the ICE field office in Scarborough, Maine and the ICE facility in Burlington, Mass.

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