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College Station Flight Attendant released from ICE detention facility

Selene Roman, a DACA recipient, was detained at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) by ICE in February and now awaits an immigration hearing, according to ICE. Her story sparked national outrage.

CONROE, Texas — A College Station flight attendant, detained in an ICE Facility in Conroe, was released Friday at 6:15pm, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. News of her initial detention sparked a firestorm on social media. 

Selene Saavedra Roman, a DACA recipient, was detained at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) by ICE in February of this year and now awaits an immigration hearing, according to ICE. 

Roman said she is "thankful and grateful for the amazing people that came to fight for me," according to a tweet from Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. According to the tweet, Roman describes being freed as "indescribable." 

In another tweet, Nelson confirmed that David Watkins, Roman’s husband and a College Station resident was on his way to pick her up from the Joe Corley Detention Facility in Conroe, as of 3pmCST Friday.  

Regulations, begun under Trump Administration, prevent DACA recipients from traveling outside the US. It is not yet known if that is what led to Roman's detention. 

According to thepointsguy.com, the website to first release the story, Roman, 28, is a crew member on Mesa Airlines and was detained when attempting to crew a flight from Houston to Mexico. Roman is a DACA recipient, immigrating from Peru when she was a child.

Roman's story sparked social media outrage. Prompting calls for her release from notables like former Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton and the leadership of the AFL-CIO, which encompasses the Association of Flight Attendants. 

***Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Roman was released. It was changed to say she was "expected to be released," because as of 6pmCST on Friday Roman was still in the facility. It was changed Friday evening to reflect double-confirmation reporting, through which KAGS was able to confirm Roman's release.***

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