A green card holder from Zimbabwe who spent the better part of a year locked up after a traffic stop is now home with her family, following an immigration court victory that compelled authorities to release her on June 3.
The ruling came down June 2 from Immigration Judge Stephen Ruhle of the Executive Office for Immigration Review. While Ruhle found that Charity Grace Mukamuri, 43, was technically removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act, he simultaneously approved her cancellation-of-removal application — a legal remedy open to lawful permanent residents — effectively securing her right to remain in the United States. With both parties waiving a written decision, officials had no more than 24 hours to let her go.
Mukamuri's path to release began August 27, 2025, when she was pulled over while driving between Tulsa and Jenks, Oklahoma, and taken into federal custody. She cycled through multiple detention facilities before spending a prolonged period at Camp East Montana in El Paso, then moved to the El Paso Processing Center before her release. She originally arrived in the United States in 2001 on a student visa and has remained here ever since.
The Department of Homeland Security had alleged she committed acts of cruelty toward children, though the agency declined to provide specifics when pressed. Her family firmly denies any wrongdoing, pointing to her clean criminal record and valid permanent resident status. A DHS spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law—including cruelty towards children—you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."
Among the most immediate frustrations Mukamuri described was being cut off from legal counsel. "It took almost two and a half months for me to get final access to talk to my attorney," she said.
Her time at Camp East Montana drew scrutiny in a Newsweek investigation into conditions at the facility. She alleged poor food quality, medical concerns, and a pattern of retaliation after detainees began sharing their accounts with the publication. Mukamuri said staff moved to identify who had spoken out once the stories ran, and she was accused of having an improper relationship with a congressional staffer — something she dismissed as "ridiculous." Her belongings were reportedly searched and damaged, with her mattress cut open during the process.
"They started intimidating me…they threatened me, saying, 'we can make your life miserable,'" she recalled. "I didn't feel safe communicating with anyone."
Freedom, she said, has brought relief but not peace. "I feel a sense of relief that my process is done…but at the same time, I'm really struggling to cope," Mukamuri said. "I'm glad I'm with my family…but I can't help but think about my many friends that are still stuck." After leaving detention, she was taken first to a refugee center before reuniting with her family. The family is now planning to seek professional support. "We have been talking about going into therapy, and we're going to need that therapy," she said. "And we have a lot of rebuilding to do because over the course of time, there are a lot of things that we have had to let go."
Before her arrest, Mukamuri led the Isaiah 54 Project, a Tulsa nonprofit focused on feeding people experiencing homelessness. Even after her release, she said her mind keeps returning to the women still detained. "My heart breaks because I know the conditions that they are living in," she said.
Informational content only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney.