A woman who was exonerated by the Justice system in Texas after spending more than two decades in prison for a murder she did not commit now faces the threat of deportation to Honduras. A judge in Travis County formally dismissed the case against Carmen Mejía, 54, ending a conviction that kept her in prison for 22 years, according to local media. At the end of January, an appeals court declared her innocent after new evidence emerged in her case proving that the death of a 10-month-old baby in her care in 2003 was an accident and not a homicide. Despite this favorable ruling, Mejía was not released after the hearing due to a rule that requires local authorities to hold individuals at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for 48 hours while a decision is made on whether they can be deported or sent to a migrant detention center, or released. “Mejía managed to survive over two decades in prison driven by the hope of reuniting with her children someday,” the statement read. Since Trump's return to the White House in 2025, his administration has expanded detentions and deportations and has pushed for the use of mechanisms like expedited removal, which allows for the deportation of certain migrants without a full judicial hearing. Additionally, immigration authorities have increased arrests within the country and the use of mandatory detention, while the number of people held in immigration centers reached record levels in 2025, according to the American Immigration Council. In this context, civil rights advocates warn that people who have spent years in prison on wrongful convictions can become trapped in the immigration system despite being exonerated. Meanwhile, Mejía—who did not see her four children grow up for more than two decades—awaits the decision of federal authorities that will determine if, after proving her innocence, she can finally rebuild her life in the United States or face another separation from her family. “It would be the ultimate injustice that, after overcoming all obstacles and finally proving her innocence—a Herculean task—she is moved to another form of incarceration instead of reclaiming her freedom,” said Vanessa Potkin, an attorney for the Innocence Project.
