CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Salvador Hernandez-Solorzano, an immigrant from El Salvador, has been unexpectedly moved to a Michigan detention center, complicating his ongoing appeal for political asylum.
Hernandez-Solorzano was halfway through his virtual asylum hearing in front of a Cleveland immigration judge when his case was reassigned to a different judge without explanation.
Salvador Hernandez-Solorzano, an immigrant from El Salvador, has been unexpectedly moved to a Michigan detention center, complicating his ongoing appeal for political asylum. (Provided)
His lawyer, Cassandra Rodriguez, expressed concern over the move, suggesting it might be an attempt at “judge shopping” to find a less favorable court for her client.
“If there was ever a case that was deserving of political asylum, it’s Salvador’s case. Salvador is deserving of the protection that the United States has to offer,” said Rodriguez.
She noted that the previous judge in Cleveland granted asylum in 17% of cases, while the new Michigan judge’s rate is only 9%.
Hernandez-Solorzano was detained by federal agents last spring after entering the U.S. legally in late 2023. He was accused of murder in El Salvador and alleged to be a member of the MS-13 gang.
However, Rodriguez and Hernandez-Solorzano claim he was exonerated by a judge in El Salvador, who found the lone witness against him not credible. They also have previously provided Local 12 with documents showing he was acquitted.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have not provided a clear reason for the transfer.
Rodriguez says an ICE agent suggested it might be due to overcrowding at the Butler County Jail, which has a contract with DHS to house federal immigration detainees. A spokeswoman for the Butler County Sheriff’s office referred all questions to ICE, but Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones previously denied any such issues.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described Hernandez-Solorzano as a “criminal illegal alien” and confirmed his arrest by ICE and indicated detention is based on bed space.
She emphasized that “illegal aliens in detention have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers” and that “all illegal aliens receive full due process.”
The statement did not answer Local 12’s question about why he was moved and why his case was reassigned to a different judge in another state.
Hernandez-Solorzano’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29 in Michigan, but it remains uncertain whether the proceedings will restart or continue from where they left off.