Press Releases

Freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is part of the fabric of our democracy. It serves as a vital check on government power and ensures the public’s right to make informed decisions. The ACLU of Puerto Rico supports the work of journalists, defends access to public information, and upholds the public’s right to know — because a free and independent press is essential to justice and accountability.

Media Requests:
David Cordero Mercado
Communications Director
dcordero@aclu.org
acluofpr@aclu.org

Oct 1, 2026

Mexican immigrant removed from Puerto Rico granted release on bond

The Immigration Court held a bond hearing in which Sandro González Domínguez appeared via videoconference from Florida, while immigration agencies continued to defy a federal judge's order requiring his return.
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Sandro González Domínguez v. Garret J. Rippa, et al.
Sep 29, 2026

ACLU Puerto Rico files legal motion defending Mexican immigrant and seeking his release

Sandro González Domínguez, co-owner of a well-known restaurant business in the archipelago, was detained on Saturday by masked ICE agents.
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Sandro González Domínguez v. Garret J. Rippa, et al.
Aug 21, 2026

Immigration judge denies bond to Dominican immigrant who has lived in Puerto Rico for 28 years, despite recent First Circuit decision

The ACLUPR and the UPR Immigration Clinic denounced the decision, noting that it keeps Juan Francisco Areche Minaya incarcerated based on an alleged flight risk that does not exist.
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Jul 21, 2026

Inocencia Rodríguez will remain at liberty following a victory in federal court

The ACLU of Puerto Rico welcomes that she remains with her family, but denounces the excessive $5,000 bail imposed by Immigration Judge Elvin Talavera Peraza
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Inocencia Rodríguez v. Rebecca González, et al.
Jul 17, 2026

Federal judge orders immediate release of Dominican immigrant illegally detained by ICE

Judge María Antongiorgi Jordán likewise ordered that a bail hearing be held on or before July 21 after an immigration judge refused to corroborate the evidence available in the Government’s file
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Inocencia Rodríguez v. Rebecca González, et al.
Jul 15, 2026

Immigration judge refuses to confirm the illegality of a Dominican immigrant’s detention

The immigration court ignored the warnings of Judge María Antongiorgi Jordán, who issued an order blocking the transfer of the woman after the ACLU of Puerto Rico filed an urgent legal motion
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Inocencia Rodríguez v. Rebecca González, et al.
Jul 15, 2026

Federal judge halts transfer of immigrant detained by ICE during an aggressive vehicle intervention

Judge María Antongiorgi Jordán advised the federal agency that the detention would be illegal, as the ACLU chapter of Puerto Rico warned in their tenth immigration-related case.
Issue Areas: Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Inocencia Rodríguez v. Rebecca González, et al., Albeto Pierre v. Rebecca González et al., Diógene Fermín Fernández v. Rebecca González et al., Ernesto José Cruz Tejada v. Rebecca González et al., Ignacio Cambero Maldonado v. Rebecca González et al., Joan Alberto Zorrilla Lora v. Rebecca González et al., Leon Isauro Calderon Santana v. Rebecca González et al., Martín Medina de la Cruz v. Rebecca González et al., Perfecto Paula v. Rebecca González et al., Teófilo Ávila v. Rebecca González et al.
Jul 9, 2026

ACLU of Puerto Rico warns about ICE stalking communities and streets across the archipelago

The organization denounced the ongoing interventions by masked ICE agents in communities and even in the middle of streets and vehicular traffic routes, targeting immigrant people and endangering public safety.
Issue Areas: Derechos de Inmigrantes, Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: Ignacio Cambero Maldonado v. Rebecca González et al., Ernesto José Cruz Tejada v. Rebecca González et al., Diógene Fermín Fernández v. Rebecca González et al., Joan Alberto Zorrilla Lora v. Rebecca González et al., Leon Isauro Calderon Santana v. Rebecca González et al., Perfecto Paula v. Rebecca González et al., Teófilo Ávila v. Rebecca González et al., Albeto Pierre v. Rebecca González et al., Martín Medina de la Cruz v. Rebecca González et al.
Jun 15, 2026

Supreme Court Again Denies DTOP’s Attempt to Keep Subpoena on Immigrants Hidden

For the second time, the Supreme Court’s determination in the ACLU of Puerto Rico case reaffirms the fundamental right of access to information and the people’s right to know how the exchange between the state agency and ICE took place
Issue Areas: Free Speech, Immigrant Rights
Court Cases: ACLU of PR v. DTOP