Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took a Maryland mother into custody shortly after she dropped her young daughter at elementary school. Vanessa Parrazal, 24, was arrested on December 17 and has since been transferred to an ICE detention center in Louisiana.
Legal Proceedings Disrupted
According to her legal representatives at Portner & Shure, this relocation has delayed a scheduled court hearing. The hearing, originally set for Tuesday, was intended to present petitions that might allow an immigration judge to grant bail immediately.
ICE officials confirmed the arrest to the Baltimore Sun. A spokesperson described Parrazal as "a criminal illegal alien from Mexico" with a prior conviction.
Background and Context
Court documents indicate Parrazal faced a second-degree assault charge in 2020 when she was 18 years old. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor, to which she pleaded guilty. Her only other court record is a 2020 traffic citation for driving without a license.
Friends and neighbors told The Sun the assault case resulted from an act of self-defense against an abusive partner.
An ICE spokesperson stated they identified Parrazal during a "targeted immigration enforcement operation" on Dec. 17.
"ICE officers positively identified (Vanessa) Parazzal-Uscanga as she entered her vehicle and attempted to place her under arrest, however Parazzal-Uscanga refused to comply with lawful orders from and actively resisted arrest," an ICE spokesman told The Sun. "For the safety of the officers and the community, officers legally extracted the criminal alien from the vehicle and placed her under arrest."
ICE also accused critics of spreading "lies" in this case, although the spokesman didn't explain what parts are inaccurate. Instead, he simply said lies related to ICE arrests have contributed to a more than 1,150% increase in assaults on ICE officers nationwide.
Path to Residency and Official Reactions
Parrazal is married to U.S. citizen Aaron Downes. While marriage does not automatically grant legal status, it can provide a pathway to apply for permanent residency. Her attorneys said that process was already underway.
"Vanessa has been in the United States for nearly 20 years," said Marlena Konopka, managing immigration attorney at Portner & Shure. "She is a young mother, a loving spouse and a cherished community member in Maryland. She made a mistake when she was younger, learned her lesson and took the appropriate steps to rehabilitate. She has had no legal issues since."
Maryland Governor Wes Moore's office stated they are monitoring the situation closely.
"Governor Moore is aware of the reports out of Salisbury and is deeply troubled by what's been described," said Moore's senior press secretary Ammar Moussa. "Maryland is a state that believes in due process, public safety, and basic human dignity — and we will not normalize a country where parents who are living here, working, paying taxes, and raising kids can be taken into custody in front of their children on the way to school. We will continue working with local partners to support impacted families and keep our communities safe."
Moussa added that the governor's office had been in contact with Parrazal's family.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen's office referred to his previous statement condemning the arrest, which called the tactics "absolutely unacceptable."
Parrazal remains detained in Louisiana as her legal team works to bring her case before a judge and secure her release.
