Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a U.S. Army veteran and legal permanent resident, was released this week after spending nearly four months in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington state.

The release came after a court decision who questioned the legality of his detention and prohibited ICE from rearresting him while his case continues in federal court.

Muhammad's Release and First Statements

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry left the ICE Processing Center in Tacoma on Monday, after a federal judge ordered his immediate release. Outside the detention center, the veteran expressed that he never thought he would regain his freedom after months in custody. “I thought it would never happen,” he stated, according to KCPQ in Tacoma.

According to Newsweek, Federal Judge David G. Estudillo not only authorized his release, but also prohibited ICE from rearresting him until his case is fully reviewed by the court. During the hearing, procedural flaws in the arrest and subsequent prolonged detention were acknowledged.

How the arrest and immigration detention occurred

Chaudhry was arrested on August 21, when he appeared for a citizenship interview in the Tukwila area of ??Washington state. According to Newsweek, ICE agents detained him at the end of the appointment and transferred him to the Tacoma immigration detention center, where he remained for more than four months.

Immigration authorities argued that Chaudhry had lied on his original visa application by not including criminal records from Australia related to financial and documentation offenses. However, his wife, Melissa Chaudhry, pointed out that those charges had been mentioned in subsequent applications and had resulted in minor penalties at the time, according to the same source.

According to information cited by Newsweek,The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that U.S. citizenship had been denied to him on several occasions since 2008 and that, in subsequent years, immigration judges questioned both his eligibility and his medical condition. In his ruling, Judge Estudillo concluded that the procedure used to detain him violated his right to liberty and lacked adequate prior notice.

Who is Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry?

Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry is originally from Pakistan and has resided in the United States since 2000. According to Newsweek, he served in the U.S. Army before suffering an injury that caused back and neck damage, leaving him wheelchair-bound and permanently disabled.

He is married and has children, who were waiting for him outside the detention center upon his release. According to his family, he received limited medical attention during his time in ICE custody despite his physical condition. Their immigration status remains under review, and the case is currently before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with a hearing scheduled for January.