Judge approves bond for Cheshire teenager detained by ICE
Rihan was granted a $1,500 bond, paving the way for his release. But the judge rejected a bid to reinstate the teen's immigration status.
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A federal judge has granted a $1,500 bond for a high school student from Cheshire who was detained by ICE agents earlier this month.
Rihan, an 18-year-old Cheshire High School senior, had a bond hearing Monday morning. The move will allow him to be released from an ICE detention center in Massachusetts, where he has spent the last two weeks.
Gov. Ned Lamont spoke out on the case Monday, saying the state is lucky to have him.
“To Rihan, I say this: what you and your family have endured is not fair, and I am so sorry that you have not received the warm, grateful welcome and clear path to residency that the federal government promised your father,” said Lamont. “Keep going. Your community is behind you, your future is waiting and the best chapters of your story are still ahead."
Immigration agents arrested the teen as he left his house with an uncle and his brother. News 12 Connecticut is not revealing the teen's last name due to safety threats against his family overseas.
He came to the U.S. legally in 2024 under humanitarian parole, a temporary immigration status for "urgent humanitarian reasons," because his father's work with the U.S. Army placed the family in danger.
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Rihan's father, Zia, was the intended target, according to the teen's attorneys. ICE held Zia for three months before a judge ordered his release last October. When Rihan told officers that his father was at home, their attention allegedly turned to him — claiming his parole had expired.
Agents based Rihan's arrest on erroneous online immigration paperwork, according to a federal judge. Rihan's humanitarian status was valid until October 2026. He also has pending "green card" and asylum applications.
Despite U.S. Customs and Border Patrol correcting the paperwork, ICE revoked Rihan's immigration status "without prior notice to petitioner, without a hearing and without compliance with the procedural requirements," his attorneys claimed.
On Monday, the judge denied his request to immediately reinstate his immigration status.
Rihan’s attorney released the following statement on the bond approval:
"We're thrilled with this result. It's the right result. We're so grateful to Rihan's school, community and lawmakers who have advocated and supported Rihan's return to his family. He'll be back to school, where he should be, very soon," said Lauren Peterson, attorney for The American Immigration Legal Clinic.
