In early March 2026, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, an Obama appointee from Minnesota, ordered the release of Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a Salvadoran national and alleged MS-13 gang member, from ICE custody after he filed a habeas petition.
For context, DHS has labeled him a violent criminal, with a history of rape, robbery, multiple illegal re-entries since 2016, violent resistance during Jan. 20 arrest, including punching officers and grabbing a holstered gun.
The judge ruled his detention was unlawfully prolonged by government “missteps,” including public DHS posting of his photo as “Worst of the Worst,” which undermined third-country deportation efforts.
Reacting to the scandal, Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis declared, “This activist, Obama-appointed judge RELEASED Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador and MS-13 gang member, from ICE custody.”
“This gang member was previously RELEASED by the Biden Administration in 2022. Releasing violent criminals is inexcusably reckless, and now this criminal will be able to perpetrate more crimes against innocent Americans,” the official added.
Wrapping up her comments, Bis noted, “President Trump is enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country. We are applying the law as written. If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”
Summarizing the situation, a DHS press release noted, “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement after an Obama-appointed judge ordered Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, a criminal illegal alien, released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Flores-Miguel is a Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member.”
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Building on this point, the same document added, “On January 20, 2026, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Flores-Miguel. During the arrest, he violently resisted by punching and kicking ICE law enforcement officers.”
“He even grabbed the gun holster of an ICE officer. ICE took him into custody in Minnesota. Earlier this month, a judge ordered his release from ICE custody. His criminal history in the U.S. includes rape, resisting an officer, and illegal re-entry. He was arrested in El Salvador for robbery,” the DHS explained.
Laying out the details, the press release added, “Flores-Miguel entered the U.S. in September 2016 and was removed the same year in October. He entered the U.S. illegally again and was removed in March 2017. In October 2021, Flores-Miguel illegally entered the U.S. a third time and was released in June 2022.”
Concluding the press release, the DHS explained, “He was granted a final order of removal by a judge who found he could be removed to any country other than El Salvador. This case illustrates the importance of third country removals to get criminal illegal aliens out of the U.S.”
Irate, a viral post stated, “BREAKING: ACTIVIST OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE JUST RELEASED AN ILLEGAL ALIEN MS-13 GANG MEMBER BACK ONTO THE STREETS!,” adding, “Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel viciously assaulted ICE agents in Minnesota tried to RIP A GUN FROM AN AGENT’S HOLSTER to MURDER them and now this monster is WALKING FREE! This is the problem.”