Editor’s Note: Manuel-Andres’ bond hearing was June 23, not June 24. This story was updated June 24, 2025 at 11:58 p.m.
Bowling Green teen Ernesto Manuel-Andres, 18, was released on bond Tuesday night after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s agents on June 4, according to immigration advocates.
Manuel-Andres, a Guatemala native, has two documents giving him legal status in the U.S., including a Special Immigrant Juvenile status granted to youth who survived abandonment or abuse, and Deferred Action from the Department of Homeland Security, which protects him from deportation until 2029.
A federal immigration judge set Manuel-Andres’ bond at the lowest legal amount of $1,500 at his bond hearing on June 23, Luma Mufleh, an immigration and refugee advocate who has worked closely with Ernesto’s case, said in a GoFundMe post.
DHS immediately appealed the motion, delaying Manuel-Andres’ release further.
Mufleh publicly announced Manuel-Andres’ release on Instagram Tuesday night after DHS unexpectedly granted his release.
“We posted bond, and either DHS missed the one-business-day deadline or decided not to appeal,” Mufleh said in the post. “Either way, one thing matters the most: We’re bringing our boy home.”Many protests and vigils have been held throughout the Bowling Green community in solidarity with Manuel-Andres since his detainment, and a GoFundMe created by Mufleh to support him has surpassed $30,000.
Mufleh invited the Bowling Green community to celebrate Manuel-Andres’ return at Teranga Academy on Wednesday, June 25 at 6 p.m. in a GoFundMe post.
“Thank you for standing with Ernesto and showing what happens when a community comes together for someone who deserves freedom and safety,” Mufleh said in the post. “Because your support truly changed his life, we’d love to have you there to welcome him home.”
