Teófilo Ávila v. Rebecca González et al.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico ordered the federal government to bring Teófilo Ávila, a detained immigrant, back to Puerto Rico after he was transferred outside the jurisdiction even though the ACLU of Puerto Rico had timely filed a habeas corpus petition to prevent his transfer. Judge Silvia Carreño Coll ordered that Ávila be returned to Puerto Rico no later than February 2 and warned that failure to comply would result in contempt sanctions against Rebecca González Ramos, the Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Puerto Rico, whom the court identified as the detainee’s designated custodian.

According to the order, on January 29, 2026, the court had granted a temporary emergency restraining order (TRO) and an urgent motion prohibiting Ávila’s transfer outside Puerto Rico and requiring that he be given a bond hearing before an immigration judge no later than February 12, 2026. Ávila, who is represented by immigration attorney Rosaura González Rucci, was detained in Puerto Rico on January 19, 2026, and was later held in local custody facilities before being transferred out of the jurisdiction. The court underscored that there is no dispute that he was in Puerto Rico when the habeas corpus petition was properly filed.