ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The first thing Richard Landin plans to do after reuniting with his wife was give her a hug.
“I’m ecstatic, happy, joyful, honestly a lot of different things,” the Alpharetta husband said June 4. “I’m very, very, very happy that I’m going to see my wife and hold her again.”
Richard was separated from his wife Daniela Joy Landin May 12 when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents apprehended her without warning from their Alpharetta apartment. Led away in handcuffs, Daniela remained in custody at federal immigration detention centers in Georgia and Texas for more than four weeks.
Daniela, who sought asylum as a Colombian immigrant, was granted a $10,000 bond after a June 4 hearing in El Paso, Texas. Her attorney said she has broken no laws.
Previous attempts to reach the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were unsuccessful.
Immediately after learning she had a hearing date set, Richard hopped on a plane, so he could post bond as quickly as possible.
Daniela presented herself to Border Patrol officers in 2024 after leaving Colombia, stating her fear of violence at the hands of paramilitary groups. She has appealed a decision by an immigration judge who denied her asylum status.
The couple was married Feb. 8 in a small ceremony in Alpharetta.
Alpharetta women “desperate” and “depressed” during ICE detention
Expecting the worst from her bond hearing, Daniela was “very emotional” upon learning she would be freed, Richard said.
“I’m going to take her to eat a good meal for the first time in three weeks and let her have some actual rest and tranquility after such a terrible, terrible time for her,” he said.
Richard described his wife’s experience in federal custody as difficult. Through in-person visits and video calls, Daniela had told him she was struggling in custody.
Richard said his wife was “desperate” and “depressed,” and he worried she was losing faith.
She experienced sleep deprivation from a rigid schedule in her pod, where overhead lighting was dimmed for only a few hours each day. She battled boredom mainly indoors, unwilling to venture outside during yard excursions because of high temperatures and a lack of shade.
“She always sounds very desperate,” Richard said previously. “When she calls me, she’s always asking, ‘Hey, is there an update? Do we know when the bond hearing will be?’ She feels like they’re treating her worse than criminals.”
What happens next for Daniela Joy Landin
Her immigration attorney Jameel Manji, who is based in Tucker, said Daniela will likely be released within a day after her bond is posted.
After her release, her asylum case will continue and could reach a resolution within months or years. A federal immigration board has received her case but has yet to issue a ruling.
The board could order her deportation, allow her to remain in the country or send her case back to the original judge for a ruling. Manji also has begun the process for her to obtain a green card through a spousal application.
Since the start of 2025, federal agents have begun apprehending immigrants who would have previously remained free, he said.
“ICE has changed its priorities under this administration,” Manji said. “The previous administration was focused on individuals with final deportation orders and people with criminal histories. This administration is openly much more aggressive.”
Immigrants in detention can receive rulings on their appeals within months, but a decision can take years for those on bond.
During her entire time in the U.S., Daniela has never broken a law, failed to make a court appearance or filed paperwork late, Manji said. She also has no criminal history.
“She didn’t deserve to be detained at all,” Manji said. “She is certainly not a danger to society or a flight risk.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initially told the couple she would be held because of problems with a tracking anklet she wore.
Richard said a case worker told him they could see no problems with the anklet’s function, leading him to question the agents’ explanation.
Richard said he wonders about the fairness of an immigration system that works within laws but seemingly punishes those who follow them.
“It is a big injustice because we have a system to be able to seek lawful and permanent residence in the U.S.,” Richard said. “This whole situation kind of makes me feel like the government doesn’t care if these things are in place. They are more trying to use it against people who are trying to immigrate.”
Manji said Daniela could be separated from her husband if federal agents decide to detain her again.
He said her release was “wonderful news” but also worried about the damage done to her and her family.
“It was a terrible experience for her,” Manji said. “It was unfortunate and unnecessary for them to take those actions. Now, she will live with the trauma for the rest of her life.”
This story was provided by WABE content partner Appen Media.
