Wife of Army Reserve Pilot Released From ICE Detention After Four Months

Stephanie Kenny-Velasquez walked out of ICE custody this week after a federal judge ordered her release within 48 hours, ruling the government had violated her due process rights. The decision ended a four-month ordeal that began just two days after she and her husband, U.S. Army Reserve Black Hawk pilot Christopher Busby, obtained their marriage certificate at an Austin courthouse on December 3, 2025.

Christopher, who flies Black Hawks for the Army Reserve, described the moment as overwhelming. "I'm just happy to see Steph," he said. "We finally got a win."

Velasquez, 25, entered a Houston ICE office on December 5 for what was supposed to be a routine check-in and never came back out. Busby, 28, had married her just 48 hours earlier. She had no criminal record and had been complying with yearly ICE check-ins throughout her time in the country.

Velasquez was transferred to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, nearly three hours from Austin, where she was held in cramped conditions. Over the four months, she lost a significant amount of weight and complained of pain in her back, head, and stomach. Her hair also thinned during her confinement.

Her attorney, Javier Rivera, said she had a federal habeas hearing set for March 30, while USCIS had also scheduled a separate interview tied to a family petition filed by Christopher. On Monday, Rivera said the judge ordered her release within 48 hours.

Rivera had previously noted that Velasquez's status as the spouse of a U.S. service member gave her case an additional legal dimension. "She is the spouse of a U.S. service member, so she has an additional aspect of her case that makes her detention particularly troubling," he said.

Velasquez arrived in the United States in 2021, entering near Del Rio, Texas, and had a pending asylum case at the time of her detention. She had been denied bond on January 9, prolonging her confinement through three separate court proceedings before Monday's ruling finally broke in her favor.

With Velasquez now free, the couple's next steps hinge on processing through the immigration court system, where her asylum case remains unresolved. Christopher said she had one immediate priority upon release: to simply come home.