Who is Jemmy Jimenez Rosa? Mom of 3 detained for days by ICE over 2003 marijuana charge
Jemmy Jimenez Rosa was taken into custody by federal immigration officers in front of her three young daughters over a decades-old marijuana charge.
A Massachusetts mother was taken into custody by federal immigration officers in front of her three young daughters, turning what was supposed to be a family vacation into what her husband called a nightmare, according to Daily Mail report.
Who is Jemmy Jimenez Rosa ?
Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, 42, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was detained by US Customs and Border Protection on August 11 after returning from Mexico with her family. Her attorney said the detention was connected to a marijuana possession charge from more than 20 years ago, an offense that is no longer treated as a crime under Massachusetts law.
“She was taken right in front of our girls,” said her husband, Marcel Rosa, 38. “They were crying and hugging her. I had to tell them, ‘We might never see your mother again in this country.’”
Jimenez Rosa spent 10 days in federal custody, moving through several detention centers in Massachusetts and Maine, including one facility for men only. Her family said she did not receive proper medical care for her chronic diabetes and asthma and had to be hospitalized twice while detained, as reported by Newsweek.
Her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, said federal agencies including ICE, CBP, and the US Attorney’s Office gave no clear explanation despite repeated inquiries. On the day of her release, ICE finally referred to the old marijuana charge in an email.
During her detention, Pomerleau convinced a judge to vacate her past conviction and filed for her release. He said ICE dropped the case once it was clear the charge no longer applied under current law.
The charge dated back to 2003
The charge dated back to 2003, when Jimenez Rosa was 20 years old. She had been arrested with a small amount of marijuana, pleaded guilty, and completed probation. Her record was sealed more than a decade ago.
Her attorney said federal officers should not have had access to the sealed records, raising concerns that they were obtained improperly.
“She was detained without a valid legal reason, denied medical care, and treated like a criminal for something that is not even prosecutable today,” Pomerleau said.
Her case drew the attention of state lawmakers. Senator Paul Feeney, who was there when she reunited with her family, called the detention “brutal and capricious.”
Jimenez Rosa released without a phone or transportation
Jimenez Rosa was released without a phone or transportation. Her husband said she ended up at a Cheesecake Factory near the Burlington Mall, 30 miles from their home in Canton, where she borrowed a stranger’s phone to call him.
“She was soaked from the rain, disoriented, and crying nonstop,” Pomerleau said. “She was barely able to speak. All she did was hold onto her kids and husband.”
Pomerleau said he intends to pursue legal action, calling the detention a violation of her constitutional rights.
“If this can happen to a Green Card holder who has followed the rules and paid taxes, it can happen to anyone,” he said.
Her husband said she has not been the same since returning home, and the family is arranging psychiatric care and medical evaluations. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than 14,000 dollars toward a 16,000 dollar goal to help cover expenses.
