# UC Berkeley student freed from ICE detention

> UC Berkeley student released after federal judge rules ICE unlawful detention.
- Title: UC Berkeley student freed from ICE detention · Sfgate
- Summary: UC Berkeley student released after federal judge rules ICE unlawful detention. UC Berkeley student Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez was freed by a federal…
- Keywords: uc berkeley, ice, asylum, federal judge, constitutional rights, detention facility, student release, colombia, Sfgate
- Source: Sfgate — https://sfgate.com/bayarea/article/berkeley-ice-sfo-freed-22523372.php
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uc berkeley, ice, asylum, federal judge, constitutional rights, detention facility, student release, colombia, news, local
## UC Berkeley student detained by ICE
Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez, a 23-year-old business administration student from Colombia, was arrested at San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 30, 2026.
## Federal judge orders release
U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins ruled ICE violated her constitutional right to due process by detaining her without prior notice or hearing and ordered immediate release.
## Legal status and asylum
Hernandez has a pending asylum application and valid work authorization, but DHS states her legal permission to remain expired in March 2023.
## DHS response
DHS claims Hernandez entered the U.S. on Sept. 6, 2022, with permission to remain until March 6, 2023, and says neither asylum nor work authorization confers legal status.
## University celebrates release
UC Berkeley Chancellor Richard Lyons and three other officials thanked Hernandez’s legal team and community members for advocating her release and confirmed she will return to campus.
## Key takeaway

UC Berkeley student Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez was freed by a federal judge who ruled ICE violated her constitutional rights by detaining her without notice or hearing.