NEW HAVEN, Conn — It was an emotional moment in New Haven Friday for those who have been advocating for the release of 18-year-old Wilbur Cross High School student Esdrás Zabaleta-Ramirez from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, custody.

A press conference was held at the school after a federal immigration court judge ordered Thursday that Zabaleta-Ramirez, who emigrated to the United States from Guatemala in 2023, must be released on a $1,500 bond.

Zabaleta-Ramirez's lawyer, Tina Colón Williams, predicted that a legal battle awaits but said the teenager is expected to be released from ICE custody in Massachusetts as soon as this weekend.

Top New Haven officials such as Mayor Justin Elicker have been demanding the student's release since he was detained on July 21 at a

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